Not Alone
by KairiHeartzX
Summary: Yet another Furuba fanfic! The Sohmas take in a young girl who was running from the police,because she claimed to have done a very bad thing. Once they find out,what will they do with her? Will they let her stay,or force her to leave? DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**Hikaru is a young girl who has just commited a terrible crime. She runs away from the police,and stumbles upon the Sohma estate. Tohru finds her on their porch,trying to keep dry from the rain. They take her in,and offer her a place to call home. Kyo doesn't seem to be warming up to the idea,though. She tells them what happened,and expects them to turn her in to the police.**

Also,people. If you can think of a title for this story,PLEASE tell me your ideas. I cannot think of something decent for this story. And also please tell me if I should continue this,or delete it.

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**I had no idea where I was going,and all I could see were trees and plants. But I kept running,because I had to get away. No one was safe around me anymore. I ran harder,faster. My heart was racing,and I was running out of breath. I didn't care if I was lost. 

I just needed to get away from all the people,from all the danger. But,I can't really escape the danger. _I am _the danger. I couldn't belive what I had just done! I...

_I killed someone._

I had never meant to kill her. I was just trying to get a gift for my cousin,for his birthday. It was gettting dark,but I still didn't care. I kept going. I had to stay away. But,I... I can't stay away. I'll never be able to. Someone always finds me,and helps me. They don't realize they're in danger just by being near me.

I slowed to a stop,and looked around. Nothing but trees. I started walking again,ignoring the heavy pain in my legs and my chest. I used all the engery I had left to prevent myself from crying. I couldn't show weakness,not even when I was alone. I kept walking,occasionally leaning against a tree to keep standing. My mind began to wander. Before I knew it,I was falling. I guess I tripped on something. I shot my hands forward and caught myself before I hit the ground. I raised my head,and looked around to see where I was again. I noticed a small pond,or maybe just a big puddle. I didn't know,nor did I care. I crawled to it,cupped my hands and dipped them into the cold water. I brought them out,and splashed my face. I washed off the blood on my head and arms,and then dunked my head into the water. Then,I stood back up,shivering.

Another mistake. I was stupid enough to soak almost half my body in cold water in the middle of a cold night. I rung the water from my dark medium-long hair,and rung out the water from the short,torn sleeves of my shirt as best as I could. I started walking again. I knew I was probably going to be sick by tomorrow night,and it'd be worse if I didn't get some sleep. But I didn't sleep. People were out looking for me,to turn me into the police and then let me rot in jail until my execution. I didn't want that,because I'd go insane. I'm already half-way there,and I don't need to get worse. I let out a cough,followed by two more. I leaned against another tree as I felt a very sharp pain in my chest. I held my breath,and waited for the pain to pass. After a few seconds,it did. I continued,and I prayed that I didn't end up back where I started.

An hour passed,then two hours. I soon saw a small,but welcoming light shining slightly through the trees. Without thinking,I began staggering toward it. What I came upon was the thing I had least wanted to see at the moment. A house. The light of a lamp,or something,shone brightly and warmly from the window in front of me. Something small then hit me ontop of my head. Then,on my shoulder. I looked up at the sky,and drops of rain came sprinkling down on me. By instinct,I rushed for the closet thing that would shelter me from the rain. I noticed it was either the front porch,or the back porch of the house. I cursed myself for taking cover under someone else's shelter. I realized that since I was lost in the woods,I'd probably been traveling in circles atleast half of the time. If that was true,then these people probably already heard by means of the news or by rumor of the borrible thing I've done,and I needed to change my appearence slightly if they saw me. I felt my right pocket,and took out my pocket knife. I grabbed all of my hair in the back,and bunched it up in my fist so it looked like a loosely done ponytail. I cut away at it,and placed the hair in a small pile. I then cut my bangs shorter,grabbed the pile of hair,and let it blow away in the wind.

"Shigure,I'm going to get the laundry before the rain gets it too wet!"A girl's voice called out,and I froze as I heard it. I didn't dare move.

"Alright,Tohru! But be sure you don't slip in the mud!"A man's voice said back,in a sing-song tone. I tried to move,so I could run before anyone saw me,but my body wouldn't respond. I heard footsteps,and I still couldn't move. I heard the door start to slide open,but I still couldn't move. I couldn't even turn my head!

"AHH!!"the girl screamed behind me. I finally moved a little,and I whipped my head around,eyes wide.

"Ms. Honda? What is it?"another voice called out. It was a boy's voice,but it sounded much younger than the other one.

"Th-there's someone on our porch!"the girl,who I assumed was the 'Tohru' girl,yelled. I began to slowly back away from Tohru,shaking. A boy ran up to her,and looked at me with slightly widened eyes. Soon,two other people followed. Both were boys. The first one I had seen had silver-colored hair,the second one had black hair,and the third one had... orange hair? I noticed Tohru's long,dark-brown hair.

"My,my... What do we have here?"the man with black hair leaned down,taking a closer look at me. I began to feel uneasy,with them all staring at me. The silver-haired boy grabbed him by the back of the collar,and pulled him up until he stood up straight.

"You're making her feel uneasy."he stated in a calm fashion. I stood up slowly,wincing as my legs began to ache again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have intruded."I said,bowing as best as I could,from the pain that was also in my chest. I turned to leave,but Tohru grabbed my arm.

"Wait,you don't have to go-"she started,but I pulled my arm from her grasp.

"Yes. I do."I told her. I walked down the steps and back into the rain,and had taken about five steps when...

"Hey,she's trying to give you some help! Atleast thank her for even offering!"The organge-haired boy yelled angrily at me. I stood still for a moment,then turned to Tohru. I bowed again.

"Thank you for offering."I said. I straightened back up. "But,I can't accept it."I said again. I turned to go for the second time.

"But,you're shaking,and it's pouring out here! Atleast let us clean you up!"she said,and began dragging me by my arm toward the house before I had a chance to protest. They had completely forgotten the reason Tohru had even come outside:the laundry,which was now getting soaked with rain.

After about an hour of washing,scrubbing,and brushing,I looked at myself in the mirror of their bathroom. Tohru had done a pretty good job,in my opinion. I looked decent enough. But the clothes were boy's clothes. I guess that they didn't have any female clothes in my size. But,whatever. And,I was surprized that my hair looked pretty good. I had cut it without even looking at it,afterall.

"Hikaru-saan! May I see how you look?"Tohru's voice called from the bathroom door. I sighed quietly,then unlocked and opened the door. She smiled at me. "You look great!"she exclaimed.

"I'm in Sohma-kun's clothes."I muttered(They had introduced themselves to me just before Tohru had shoved me into the bathroom to bathe). _'And I look like a boy'_ I thought.

"Well,you still look nice in them!"she said. She dragged me out of the bathroom,and back into the living room. The boys all looked at me. I turned to Yuki,and bowed.

"Thank you for lending me some of your clothes,Sohma-kun."I said to him.

"You're welcome."he replied. I gave him a small smile. "But,you can call me Yuki-kun if you wish."he added with a calm smile. I looked at the floor. What was I supposed to do,now? They took me into their house,let me use their bath,lent me their clothes,and how am I supposed ro repay them? I can't just walk out. I've done that one too many times to people who were so kind to me. "Are you alright?"he asked. I looked up,and nodded.

"I'm fine."I said.

"Hikaru-san! Do you just want me to wash these?"Tohru asked,carrying a blood-stained pile of cloth that used to be my clothes. I thought for no more than a moment.

"Throw them away."I said,looking back at the floor. Kyo looked over at them.

"Is that... blood?"he asked a little too loudly. All of their eyes were then on me. I could feel their stares burning a large hole in my head,so I slowly looked back up. "Is it?"Kyo asked again. I wondered what they would say if I told them the truth.

"Yes."I finally answered.

"What happened,Hikaru-san? Are you injured?"Yuki asked me. "Did someone hurt you?"he asked again,after I didn't respond. I knew this was going to happen. It always does. I viciously attack someone,run away,people take me in,they find out what happened,then I have to run again.

"No. I'm not hurt."I answered,my voice getting shaky.

"Then who's-"Kyo started,but stopped when he noticed me starting to silently cry. He understood my reason for crying. "Who did you hurt?"he asked. Before I realized it,I was sobbing.

"Kyo,Kyo! Shame on you! Assuming Hikaru-san hurt someone!"Shigure shook his finger at him. WHACK. Yuki sent Kyo crashing through the paper door.

"I'm terribly sorry for my cousin. He can be very insensitive to other people's feelings."Yuki told me,placing his hand on my shoulder.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN,YOU DAMN RAT!"Kyo yelled at his cousin,running back into the room. Oh no. I hated when the people around me started fighting. Wait a minute... 'damn rat'? What's Kyo talking about?

"If you want a fight,then come on. This time,I'm not holding back."Yuki said. It was scary how he could still sound calm.

Kyo threw a punch at Yuki,who easily dodged it. He threw nother punch,followed by a kick. I took a look at the scene:Kyo and Yuki were fighting,Tohru was freaking out _because_ her friends were fighting("Kyo! Yuki! You don't have to fight!"),and Shigure was watching them fight with a complete look of boredom in his eyes. Kyo threw punch after punch at Yuki,who either blocked or dodged them easily. I had to stop them,before they provoked _me_ to start fighting. That,as you may have learned by now,is a very bad thing.

Yuki suddenly punched his cousin square in the jaw,and knocked him four feet away. After a few seconds,

Kyo got back up and went after Yuki again. He threw another punch at Yuki,who dodged it. Seeing an opening,he threw a punch back at him. It collided,but not with Kyo. I stood directly in between the two fighting cousins,and my arms were crossed together,blocking Yuki's fist. Everyone gasped.

"Please... Don't fight."I muttered. I hadn't even realized that I was still crying. I looked at Kyo,then at Yuki. "Kyo didn't say anything to upset me."I continued.

"Then,what happened?"Yuki asked,taking his hand off of my arms. I suddenly felt sick all over,so I sat down. Tohru,Kyo,and Yuki all sat down as well.

"Well..."my voice trailed off. What was I going to tell them? 'Well,you see,I just killed someone yesterday,and now I'm running from the police.'I played the statement in my head like a cd. No,that would just make me sound like I was insane. "Kyo was right,I... I hurt someone. Really badly."I finally got out. Their faces questioned what had happened. "You see I was trying to find a birthday present for my cousin,who I was living with. I bumped into the 'bully' of my school outside a store."I paused,wondering how to word this story. "She had a way with words. Whatever you could say,if she heard it,she'd turned it right around to make you look bad. No matter what it was you said. She was trying to talk to me,but I ignored her. She was only trying to get me to say something,so she could make me look even more like an outcast. And when she realized I wasn't going to talk,she started saying something she knew would really hit me hard."I paused again,to take in a breath. "_'Your parents must really be worthless. They don't even teach you how to be respectful to others! Or,did they abandon you?'_ She said that,and other things. I just... I just started hating her. Right then and there,the hatred in my heart was completely directed at her. I've never completely hated anyone,until that moment. The next thing I knew,I was standing over her body as she nearly bled to death."I took in another breath,and let it out. "Once the ambulance had arrived,she was dead. And,I ran. There were atleast three people who had called the police."I finished. Just by telling the main thing that had happened made me feel like throwing up. I had been looking at the floor nearly the entire time I had told the story,so I looked back up. Tohru's face was a little freaked out,but she still had a slight smile on her face for any reasons beyond me. Kyo was looking at me like I was getting ready to grab a knife and murder them all,Yuki looked uneasy,and Shigure hadn't even taken in the whole story by the look on his face. I slowly stood up.

"I suppose you want me out of your lives,now. So,I'll just go."I head toward the entrance to the house,and found my shoes. Which were now,thanks to Tohru,clean. Someone's hand touched my shoulder,and I turned around. Yuki had made his way over to me without making a sound(**A/N:surprising? I think not. ;)**).

"You don't need to go,Hikaru-san."he told me. My eyes widened at this statement.

"But... I mean,I..."my voice trailed off. "I killed someone!"I said finally. "I'm a monster,you're not safe around me! No one's safe around me."I said,feeling myself getting weak.

"Hikaru-san,you need a place to stay. Atleast for a few days."Shigure walked up to us. "You're probably going to get sick,so please stay for a little bit,to make sure you're well."he told me,a serious look on his face for the first time. I couldn't turn down their offer. Because...

I felt like they were the only ones that could be safe around me. I didn't know why,but I just felt it. And the feeling was strong,so maybe they really _were_ going to be safe. And we'd become good friends. Maybe.

"Alright."

"Kyo,Tohru,what do you think? Do you think Hikaru-san should stay for a little?"Shigure asked Kyo and Tohru. Tohru,of course,said yes. But,Kyo looked a little uneasy.

"Yeah,I guess. Whatever."he said after a few moments of choking silence.

"Alright,then! Hikaru-san's staying!"Tohru exclaimed.

"She makes it sound like Hikaru-san's staying for good..."Yuki muttered to Shigure. I heard this,but pretended not to. It didn't really bother me,seeing that I never stayed for more than a week or two with someone who helped me after I was lost.

"Where's she gonna stay?"Kyo asked.

"Oh,she can stay in my room!"Tohru suggested. They turned to me,as if asking what I wanted to do. I bit my lip.

"Um,well,I don't want to force you out of your own room,Honda-san."I said quickly.

"If you want,Hikaru-san,you can stay in the extra room."Yuki suggested.

"But that's _my_ room!"Kyo protested.

"So what? You never use it,you stupid cat. You always sleep on the roof."Yuki retorted. Okay,'stupid rat'? 'Stupid cat'?

"Hey,hey!"I interrupted the two's quarrel. "What's with the whole 'stupid cat'-'damn rat' thing?"I asked them. The boys froze,and Tohru seemed to get tense.

"Well,you see,Hikaru-san."Shigure chimed in after a few moments of silence. "Yuki and Kyo used to pretend to be animals when they were very young,and their favorites were the cat and the rat."he told me.

"That makes sense."I said,after thinking about it for a moment. The density in the air lightened as Yuki,Shigure and I went back into the living room. Kyo glared at Yuki,who inturn,glared back.

"Oh! Hikaru-san,you must be hungry!"Tohru shot up from her seat. I held my stomach as I felt it growl. My face turned a light shade of pink. "I'll make us all some lunch!"she said,rushing into the kitchen. Kyo suddenly yelled in frustration,making me jump.

"I'm going!"he said,standing up and putting on his jacket. I watched him as he made his way across the living room and put on his shoes. He slammed the front door behind him as it closed,and I winced.

"Was it... something I did or said?"I asked Yuki and Shigure. Shigure shook his head,while Yuki glared at the front door as if a picture of Kyo was pinned onto it.

"He's just mad,Hikaru-san. You didn't do anything,so don't worry,he'll probably be back by the time Tohru's made dinner."Yuki told me. "Not like _I _care..."he muttered. I pretended not to hear that,but I couldn't help but feel like he was mad at me. I mean,it was _Kyo's_ room they said I'd be staying in.


	2. Chapter 2

I've been staying with the kind Sohmas and Honda-san for not even a day,but I felt like Kyo hated me. I didn't know why it bothered me so much,seeing how many other people hated when they found out I was a beast. Heck,alot of people shunned me just because of how I acted. I was always the freak,the outcast,the quiet one. I never actually talked to or even got near many people,and you all know why. But,alot of the people just think that _I_ think I'm better than them. I hate it! I hate having them taunt me or giving me cold looks. I want to tell them why I isolate myself from them,but then they'd just treat me worse.

Suddenly,I heard Kyo-kun yelling at me.

"Hey,we're talking to you!"he exclaimed,waving his hand in front of my face. I blinked,and looked at the four people seated with me at the table.

"Hn?"I asked slightly dazed.

"I asked if you were feeling alright,Hikaru-san. You haven't even glanced at your food."Yuki told me. I stared blankly at everyone,then realized where I was.

"I-I'm... I'm fine,I was just... Just..."my tongue tied in knots as I searched for words. "Thinking."I finished. I picked up my chopsticks,and looked at the food on my plate. Tohru had prepared meso soup,along with fried leeks and rice. It smelled wonderful,but I couldn't bring myself to eat it. I slowly put the chopsticks down,and I looked away from them all. "I'm sorry. I just... I can't eat it. I've done nothing to deserve your care."I told them quietly.

"But,Hikaru-san,you need to eat."Yuki said.

"I'm sorry,Sohma-kun."I muttered.

"Tohru made this dinner,the least you could do is try it!"Kyo yelled at me.

"She never said that she didn't like it,you stupid cat!"Yuki shot back. I stood up,and walked out of the room. I grabbed my shoes,and closed the front door behind me. I hoped they wouldn't get too mad because of my rudeness.

"Hikaru-san?"I heard the faint sound of one of their voices call my name. I put my shoes on quickly,and looked for a place to get away that was still close to Sohma-kun's house. But,I was too slow.

"Hey,I didn't mean to upset you,you know."Kyo told me,but I didn't turn around to face him.

"It's not that."I said after a short silence.

"Then what?"he asked,and I could hear the slight annoyance in his voice. I turned around,and looked him in the eye.

"I've done nothing to deserve all of your guy's kindness. I mean,you've only known me for,what? Seven hours? And,you still offer me a place to stay. It just doesn't make sense!"I told him. There was a period of silence between us.

"There's alot of things that don't make sense."he pointed out. Well... I had to agree on that statement,because it's true. There _are_ alot of things that don't make sense. "Like..."Kyo continued,"...the fact that you just won't accept that _we_ accept _you_."he told me,tilting my head up to look at him. My heart started pounding,and I was sure that Kyo could probably hear it,too. Then,the realization of what he had just said dawned on me. My eyes widened,and I suddenly felt a feeling that I hadn't felt for atleast three years:I felt wanted. There were four people right now that accepted me. They wanted my presence.

The others who took me in were kind,but it was a fake kindness. Right when they found out what I had done,the thing that caused me to run away,they were cold. They seemed to be frightened of me,frightened for their lives,or their children's lives,or anyone else's lives but my own. Not all of them showed it,but I sensed it. Half of them threw me out,while the others I just ran away from. My own cousin didn't even want me! The only reason he let me stay with him was because we used to be close,and the fact that his sister would never let him hear the end of it if he kicked me out into the streets.

I felt tears well up in my eyes,and I gritted my teeth slightly as I tried not to cry. I got even more upset when I sensed Kyo feeling uneasy. Why did I have to be the kind of person who cries easily? But,luckily,I was also the kind of person who could stop herself from crying,but it's not as easy. And this time,it was even harder. I finally gave in,and cried gentley. I hiccupped as the tears rolled down and off of my cheeks,and either onto the shirt or the ground,which was already wet from the rain.

"What...? What is it? Please... Just don't cry."he said,sounding defeated. I hiccupped again,and wiped my face.

"Thank you... Kyo-kun."I got out in between quiet sobs. After another minute or so,I stopped crying. I wiped my face,trying to erase any signs that I had been crying at all. Without a word,Kyo went back inside. I followed,and took off my shoes again. I went back into the living room,and I sat back down in my seat at the table. But,Shigure-sama(**A/N:tee-hee. "Shigure-sama" X3**) wasn't there. "Uh..."

"Shigure went out for a walk."Yuki answered me before I had even asked.

"Why? Did his editor show up?"Kyo asked. Yuki nodded,and Kyo laughed. Yuki then turned to me.

"Hikaru-san,did my cousin say anything to upset you out there?"he asked me,a serious look on his face. I hadn't expected that question,so it took me a second to process what he had asked me,and Kyo just glared at him.

"Oh,um. No. He didn't."I said quietly,and Yuki looked a little surprised. Was... Kyo really that bad of a person? No,it was probably just the rivalry between the two that made it seem that way.

"Why do you always gotta assume that I did something wrong or said something that upsets someone,ya damn rat?!"Kyo yelled at Yuki,standing up and slamming his hand down onto the table.

"Because you always _do_."Yuki shot back.

"Not _all _the time!"

"Please,don't fight!"Tohru chimed in. Kyo was about to yell at her in anger,then realized who he was facing. He calmed down,and sat back down in his seat. I yawned,and looked at the nearest clock. It read 6:57. Wow. I'm not usually this tired until eight. Then again,I did wander around in the forest for atleast twelve hours,and I didn't sleep the entire time. I tried to stiffle the next yawn,but failed.

"Hikaru-san,are you tired?"Tohru asked,and I looked at her.

"No,I'm fine."I said.

"It's okay if you're tired. You can go to sleep if you want."Kyo told me.

"Um... But,where...?"

"We already decided that you'll sleep in Kyo's room,Hikaru-san."Yuki told me. Kyo opened his mouth to protest yet again,but closed it after a second. I guess he was going to try to deal with it. I stood up,and realized that I had no idea where Kyo's room was.

"Where is it?"I asked.

"Here,follow me."Kyo said,grabbing my wrist and practically dragging me behind him. He led me up some stairs,and into a large,spacey room.

"This used to be the attic,so I hope you don't mind."he said,letting go of my wrist. I noticed a futon was already rolled out,but the blankets weren't straightened and it was messy. But,hey. It was something for me to sleep on. There were also various papers and items scattered across the floor. I gave him a small smile.

"I don't mind,Kyo-kun."I said. He turned to leave,but accidentally slipped on a peice of paper. He started to fall,and,by instinct,I immediately grabbed his arm to stop the fall. But,I wound up being pulled down with him,and I landed on him. I heard a _POOF!_,and an orange cat was sprawled on the floor right in front of me,and Kyo's clothes were left scattered. I picked the cat up,and turned it so it faced me. "Wha-what the?! A cat?!"I yelled,my eyes probably as big as dinner plates. I poked it in the side a few times,to see if I was just seeing things. Nope. That cat was really there.

"Would you stop that?!"it suddenly yelled. If possible,my eyes got wider,and my mouth nearly fell off of my face.

"Ahh! A _talking cat_!"I yelled even louder,and it placed it's paw on my mouth.

"Will you be quiet?!"it yelled again. Wait a minute,I knew that yell.

"KYO-KUN?!!"I yelled,my voice at the loudest it could possibly be.

"Hikaru-san?! What's wrong?"Yuki and Tohru burst into the room,then froze. I turned to them.

"A... A talking cat... you guys,a talking cat! I-I think I'm going crazy..."I stuttered. Yuki looked like he was resisting the urge to bash his head against the wall next to him.

"Stupid cat..."he muttered. There was another _POOF!_,and there sat Kyo. Tohru yelped and turned around,blushing a deep red.

"AHH!!!"I yelled,falling backwards to the floor. _'H-he's naked! He's __naked__!! Ugh!'_I thought,and closed my eyes. I would _never_ be able to unsee this! I heard something rustling,and then a sigh.

"It's okay. My clothes are on,now."Kyo said. I opened my eyes,and sat up,and Tohru turned around as well. My eyes were still wide.

"Y-you're a... a cat,and..."I was at a loss for words.

"I knew this was going to happen..."I heard Yuki mutter under his breath.

"What's going on?"I asked. So,Yuki,Tohru,and Kyo all explained to me about a curse that was on the Sohma Family. And,that thirteen people could change into the animals of the spirits that possesed them.

"But,we'll only transform if we're hugged by someone of the opposite sex that's isn't a member of the zodiac,or if our bodies are weak and under a great amount of stress."Yuki finished. I gaped at them,then realized so. I closed my mouth.

"So,that explains the 'stupid cat'-'damn rat' thing."I said. The three nodded,and I placed my hand over my forehead. I took it off with a small sigh. "I feel unwell..."I muttered. Tohru immediately touched her hand to my forehead.

"You do feel like you've got a temperature,Hikaru-san."she said. "I'll go get a washcloth and some cold water!"she said,rushing out of the room.

"I'd better get you to eat something,as well."Yuki said to me,and left the room to get my dinner.

"Het,sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you see anything you weren't ready to see."he told me. There was a short silence between us again. "I'm going outside again."he said,and left without another word. Tohru came in about thirty seconds later,with a bowl filled with cold water,and a washcloth. She placed it in the water,and then Yuki came in with the plate of food I hadn't even touched.

"Here,Hikaru-san. You should try to eat something."he told me,placing the dish on a tray he had also brought up.

"Thank you,Sohma-kun,and Honda-san."I told them.

"You're very welcome."Yuki replied.

"It's no trouble! Really!"Tohru told me.

"I hope you feel better."Yuki said,and he and Tohru walked out of the room. I took a bite of the leeks,and also a bite of the rice. Wow,Tohru was a great cook! I tried the meso soup,and it tasted wonderful as well. After five minutes,there was still some food left,but I was full. So,I set aside the tray,and felt the water in the bowl. I realized they had put ice in it,to keep it cold. Just then,there was a knock on the door. Tohru opened it quietly,and I gave her a small smile.

"I brought some pajamas for you to wear,Hikaru-san."she said,and went over to me. She placed them next to the futon,and looked at the tray. "Are you finished?"she asked me,and I nodded. She picked it up and said,"I'll take it down into the kitchen." And she left after saying goodnight. I changed into the pajamas,and got into bed. I fell asleep instantly,forgetting about the washcloth with cold water.

I woke up,and opened my eyes slowly. I saw that a ray of light was shining through the window,causing the room to brighten. I yawned,sat up,and then something fell off of my forehead and onto the blanket. I looked at it,and noticed it was the washcloth Tohru had brought up to me the night before. I took it,and placed it back into the bowl. I heard some commotion downstairs,and got up. I walked down the hall,down the stairs,and into the living room. Tohru and helping Kyo pick up peices of a broken teacup,and Yuki was helping Shigure up from the floor. I noticed he had a blackeye.

"What happened?"I asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it!"Kyo yelled,and and stomped off,leaving Tohru to pick up the rest of the cup.

"Shigure was being his usual perverted self,that stupid cat got mad at him,and punched him."Yuki said with a sigh.

"Oh,Yuki. Your words hurt me,like a sword through my heart."Shigure said,fake tears streaming from his eyes.

"Be quiet."Yuki said,shooting a small glare at the man.

"Good morning,Ru-san!"Shigure changed the topic.

"Umm.. Ru-san...?"I questioned that nickname.

"What? You don't like the nickname I gave you?"Shigure made a fake puppy-dog face.

"Well,to tell the truth... no. I don't."I told him. He wiped away more fake tears,and Yuki sighed at him.

"Hikaru-san,how are you feeling?"Tohru asked me.

"Much better,Honda-san."I told her with a sleepy smile.

"That's good."Yuki commented. I sniffed the air.

"Is... something burning?"I asked quietly. Tohru's eyes went wide.

"Ahh! I forgot about breakfast! The food's burning!"she yelled,and rushed into the kitchen. I followed her into the kitchen,and saw her tyring to save the three different foods that were turning a dark color. I grabbed one of the pans from her hands,and offered to help.

"Oh,no! You're a guest,I couldn't possibly take advantage-"

"You won't be taking advantage of me,Honda-san. I'm glad to help."I told her with a small smile,and she gave in. After a few minutes,her and I had finished making the plates for everyone. Wer brought them out,and sat them on the table.

"Ah,this is delicious! Thank my dear flower. And thank _you_,Hikaru-san,for helping her save the food from being burnt!"Shigure exclaimed. Then,he was hit in the face by a peice of food.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling Tohru your 'dear flower'?"Yuki asked him warningly. Shigure wiped his face with a kapkin,and then turned to me with a serious expression.

"Hikaru-an,you know about our family's secret,right?"he asked me. I had to think about that question for a moment before realizing what he was talking about.

"So... That really did happen? It wasn't a dream?"I asked.

"I'm sad to say,it was very real."Shigure said with a quiet sigh.

"Shigure,you do realize we'll have to talk to Akito about this."Yuki told him.

"Who's Akito?"I asked.

"Akito's the head of our family. We have to come to him for anything."Yuki said.

"But... If Akito says you're not allowed to stay,then we must have you leave. We can't go against his wishes."Shigure added. My head lowered slightly.

"Oh..."I said.

"Hikaru-san,you're going to have to meet him."Yuki told me. my eyes widened.

"Wha... I... have to... meet him?"I asked. I was,yet again,at a loss for words.

"I'll be happy to take her shopping for some clothes!"Tohru suggested. I gave them a questioning look.

"When sopeaking with Akito,you must dress in the appropriate manner."Yuki explained.

"So it's settled,then. Tohru shall take Hikaru-san shopping for new clothes!"Shigure exclaimed with a silly smile.


	3. Chapter 3

After breakfast,Tohru cleaned the kitchen and the living room. Sohma-kun let me borrow some more of his clothes,and he insisted I wear them after I said that I didn't want to be a burden to them. After I changed,Tohru took me shopping like she said she would.

"Hikaru-san,how about we go here,first?"Tohru said,stopping me and pointing to a store across the street. I hesitated,then nodded. She pulled me into the store,and I tried on various items. The first thing I tried on was a red tank-top with a three black hearts across the chest. I decided not to get it,I'm not very fond of tanktops. I placed it back on the shelf,and Tohru showed me two different skirts,along with three shirts. I liked two of the shirts,but I didn't like the skirts. We payed for the shirts,then left for the next store. We walked into the next store,and looked around again. I picked out a longer skirt,that went down to my mid-calfs,and I instantly liked it. I found two more skirts that were just as long. Then,I chose a pair of pants and one more shirt.

"I... I hope I didn't get too much."I told Tohru as we waited to pay for the clothes.

"Oh,it's fine! They don't cost that much,anyway."she assured me. After the man in front of us payed for his items,Tohru payed for mine. Then,we went to a third shop,and I immediately picked out a purple silk kimono. Tohru paid for it,and we left for Shigure's house.

"Hikaruu-saaan!"Shigure yelled in his sing-song tone. "May I see what clothes you bought?"he asked me.

"Oh,um..."my voice trailed off as soon as Yuki hit Shigure sharply in the back of the head.

"Don't bother her,pervert."he said.

"Why must you call me such a thing?"Shigure said to Yuki,making his usual puppy-dog face. Then,he turned to me,and said,"Hikaru-san. My cousin,Hatori,said we're to meet with Akito at noon." I nodded,then looked at the clock behind me. It was almost eleven. I went upstairs,and changed into my kimono. I had to adjust it several times,trying to get it perfect. The last time I had even worn a kimono was on my ninth birthday. After another few minutes of adjusting it,I figured it looked okay,as long as I looked presentable to Akito-sama. I walked downstairs,and Tohru smiled at me.

"Ah,you look beautiful,Hikaru-san!"Shigure told me,taking my right hand. I looked at the floor,blushing.

"Hey,leave her alone! Can't ya see you're making her uncomfortable?!"Kyo yelled at him,making me jump. I hadn't noticed that he was back inside,until now. Shigure quickly released my hand,and I looked up.

'Kyo,Kyo. If you don't like it when I'm near your girlfriend,then just say so."he teased with a silly smile. Kyo didn't find it very funny.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY,MUTT?!"Kyo roared,his face red with anger. I blushed even more,and turned my attention to the wall. Kyo hit Shigure ontop of the head,making him fall to the ground.

"Ah,Kyo!"Tohru yelled,freaking out again. "Please,don't fight with anyone!"she said to him. Yuki helped Shigure up,and Shigure looked at the clock.

"Hikaru-san? Are you ready to go?"Shigure asked me. I nodded,after hesitating for a moment. I wasn't good with meeting new people,especially important people,like Akito-sama. "Come on,then."he said,heading for the door.

"He wants to see her alone?"Kyo and Yuki asked in unision. Tohru looked at us in curiosity,and what looked like slight worry.

"Yes."Shigure answered them.

"Shigure-san? Where does Akito-sama live?"I asked him.

"At the Sohma Main House."he informed me. I put on my shoes,which were black. They seemed to go well with the kimono,and I followed Shigure out. We walked for a bit,until I noticed a very large house out in the distance.

"Is that...?"I asked in awe.

"Yes,that is the Sohma Main House."he said,with a slightly grim look on his face. I didn't seem to notice the rest of the walk,because before I knew it,I was slowly walking into a dimlit room. Someone was sitting and looking out of an open window. I realized it was Akito,and I waited for him to turn around. As soon as he did so,I froze. He looked at me,and gave a small smile that I could easily identify as fake. But,I said nothing.

"What purpose... could you have for wanting to stay with Shigure and the others,I wonder."he started. His voice was cold,but also I sensed a tone of false sweetness. That voice... It sent chills down my back. "More importantly,why that house? You could have easily stumbled upon any other house or person,am I right?"he asked. I found my voice after a few moments of thick,heavy silence.

"W-well,you see... I was lost,and they found me out in the rain. Shigure-san was kind enough to offer me a place to stay,so I agreed to stay there. I had no other place to go."I told him. After a few more moments of silence from Akito,he spoke again.

"You seem like a very nice girl. What is your name?"he asked me,with the same fake tone and smile.

"Oh,my name? It-It's Hikaru..."my voice trailed off. "Hikaru Ishiyama."I finished.

"Well,Hikaru... I shall allow you to stay at Shigure's house."he told me. "But. You must keep our secret."he said,putting one of his fingers to his lips in a 'shh' gesture. I nodded.

"Thank you,Akito-sama."I said,bowing deeply to show my respect. He suddenly walked over to me,and looked me top to bottom,then into my eyes.

"How did you find out about my family's little secret,exactly?"he asked.

"Um... Well,I was talking with Kyo-kun,and he tripped. I tried to stop him from falling,so I grabbed his arm. But,I got pulled down with him."I said,my voice was quiet.

"I see. Well,tell Kyo I said 'thank you'... for causing a girl such as yourself to find out about the family."Akito said,cupping my right cheek in his hand. "You... developed an certain attachment to Kyo,didn't you."he muttered. My eyes grew wider,and I held my breath. He took his hand off of my cheek,and strode back over to his seat at the window. "You may go,now."he told me,and I let out my breath. I bowed again,and thanked him for his kindness. I walked out of the room,and Shigure looked up at me from his seat on the floor. I gave him a small smile,and he got up.

"Did Akito say yes?"he asked me,his eyes full of concern. I nodded slowly,and Shigure looked slightly surprised. He and I then went back home. Home... That was a strange and distant word to me,since I've never been able to fit in anywhere.

"Hikaru-san,your cheeks are flushed. Are you getting sick again?"Yuki asked me after I sat down in the living room. I hadn't noticed that my face was still red,and Shigure hadn't mentioned anything.

"Are they...?"I asked,paying half of my attention to my surroundings. Yuki placed the back of his hand onto my left cheek,which made me blush even more.

"You feel warm again."he said,and then I remembered the news.

"Akito-sama said..."my voice trailed off as my mind went blank. Kyo,Tohru,and Yuki looked at me with curiosity. "He said I... I can stay here."I said,finally. Tohru smiled,and Yuki smiled as well. Kyo looked like he was trying to hide a smile,but failing miserably.

"That's wonderful news!"Tohru exclaimed.

"Yes,it's good news indeed."Yuki agreed. I glanced at Kyo,who was still trying to hide his smile. Our eyes met,if only for a second,and I immeditately looked away.

"Yeah,it's good news. I guess."he mumbled,trying his best to sound as if he hardly cared. I gave him a small smile,and I could have swarn I saw him start to blush before he looked out of the window. I looked at the floor,suddenly feeling very unwell. Shigure must have noticed,because he told me I should go lie down incase I started feeling worse. I nodded,and wearily stood up. I made my way to Kyo's room,and closed the door behind me. I took off my kimono,and put on one of my t-shirts and my pants. Luckily,the pants were both comfortable and they looked good.

I sat down on the futon,and then lied down. I covered up with the blanket,and closed my eyes. I drifted off to sleep,and then I was sitting with my parents and younger siblings. We were all smiling,and having a good time,and Mother was giving us all treats for the new year. I felt happy. My family was alive again,and we were all happy. My brother... He was always telling jokes and pulling some type of prank. It was annoying sometimes,but after a little bit,we'd reminisce and laugh about it. My sister was always looking up to me,she was quiet,and I loved her very much. Just like I loved my brother,and my parents.

"Hikaru-san? How are you feeling?"Tohru's gentle voice awoke me from my happy thoughts and memories. My eyes snapped open,and I turned my head to look at her. She had her head popped in through the door.

"I'm not sure..."I mumbled,and sat up.

"Oh! Your cheeks aren't as red anymore!"she noticed,and stepped inside the room completely. She smiled,and I gave her a small smile in return.

"Honda-san? How is she?"Yuki's voice came from the hallway. Tohru gave me a look that obviously asked:'So,how _are_ you feeling?'.

"Alot better."I said.

"She says alot better!"Tohru repeated.

"Okay,that's good."Yuki replied,and I heard his footsteps grow quiet. I stood up,and then Tohru placed something in my hand.

"It's some medicine."she told me.

"Thank you."I said,bowing.

"Oh,no! Shigure's the one who told me to give it to you!"she said,frantically waving her hands in front of her. I laughed quietly. I walked downstairs,and into the kitchen. I got a cup,filled it with water,and took the medicine.

"Hikaru-saaan!"Shigure appeared behind me out of nowhere. I whirled around in surprise,my eyes wide. "If you're feeling better,how about you go out for a little? I'm sure Tohru wouldn't mind going out for a little as well.

"Oh,but... Her and I've already gone out,when we went shopping for new clothes."I told him.

"Well,it won't hurt to go out again."he said. "Oh not that I'm trying to get rid of you,I just thought that some fresh air would do you some good."he said,waving one of his hands up and down.

"Oh,well... If Honda-san wants to go..."I muttered,looking at the floor.

"Tohruuu!"Shigure called,and Tohru came rushing into the kitchen seconds later.

"What is it?!"she asked,looking around frantically incase something had caught on fire,or if someone was hurt.

"Would you like to go with Hikaru-san?"he asked.

"Uh... Huh?"she asked,obviously confused.

"Would you like to show Hikaru-san around the town,maybe walk around for a little bit?"he asked again.

"Oh,of course!"Tohru said.

"Well,then get going! It looks like it might rain during the evening,so hurry back!"Shigure said,practically pushing us out the door. We hardly had time to grab our shoes,but we managed to. After a while of walking,we came upon a large building.

"Wow,the mall! I forgot that this road led to the mall as well!"Tohru exclaimed with a smile. I gulped.

"There's going to be alot of people..."I muttered,slowly backing away.

"Come on,it'll be okay!"Tohru said,grabbing my hand. I hesitated,but agreed to go in with her,seeing as she probably wouldn't be able to protect herself much if someone tried to hurt her. A few minutes of walking around,we recieved a few stares.

"That girl's cute!"I heard some boys say.

"Who's that one she's with?"I heard some others ask. Suddenly,two girls appeared in front of us.

"Hi,there."they said as we stopped.

"Um... hi."I replied. The girls giggled,and I raised an eyebrow.

"What?"I asked.

"Oh,um... nothing!"they said.

"Uh,my name's Mia!"the blonde one suddenly said.

"And mine's Suzume!"the brown-haired girl said as well. I smiled,and Tohru smiled,too.

"My name's Hikaru."

"My name's Tohru!"

"Okay... Well,we need to get going,so..."I said,my voice trailing off,and started walking again,Tohru next to me.

"Wow,that guy is so cute!"Mia whispered.

"I know! But I bet he's together with that Tohru girl..."Suzume replied in the same hushed tone. I cursed my sensitive hearing,stopped in my tracks,causing Tohru to stop too,and turned around.

"By the way,I'm a _girl_."I told them. Their faces told me they looked like they wanted to scream,but restrained themselves from so.

"No way! A girl?!"they yelled,and I nodded. Then,Tohru and I walked away. We walked around for about thirty minutes,recieving constant stares from both boys and girls. I eventually got sick of so many people looking at me,so I told Tohru I wanted to go.

"Okay."she said with the same smile she always had on,and we left moments later.

"Well,where did you two go?"Shigure asked after we arrived back home. Tohru and I sat down at the table again,after taking off our shoes.

"We walked around the mall!"Tohru exclaimed.

"Really?"Yuki asked,although his tone wasn't surprised. It was... curious.

"Yes! We saw alot of cute clothes,and we even got to hold a puppy and some kittens!"Tohru said again.

"And... I held a mouse."I told them.

"Why'd ya do that?!"Kyo yelled,and I winced.

"Because... Well,I like mice... and rats."I said,looking at the table. "They were my favorite animals when I was younger."I exlpained further. I looked back up,and noticed Kyo looked like he was about to blow up. I guess it made sense,seeing how he's the year of the cat. He probably hates rats,and I bet Yuki hates cats. I guess it's something to do with their rivalry.

"I don't think it's your business,you stupid cat."Yuki said sharply,giving Kyo a slight glare. Kyo glared back.

"Like it's _yours_,ya stupid rat!!"

"Uh..."Yuki and Kyo turned their attention to me,and I looked at the table again. "Please... don't fight. Atleast not... when I'm in the same room..."I mumbled. Kyo and Yuki then remembered what I had told them previously,and they gave eachother one final glare before turning their attention to something else entirely.

"Hikaru-san,did you and Tohru go into any shops?"Shigure suddenly asked in the same slightly annoying sing-song tone he always had,and Tohru and I shook our heads.

"We just looked through the windows,and stuff..."my voice trailed off. I still hadn't looked back up,but no one seemed to mind. Atleast,I hoped so.

"Why?"came Yuki's curious voice.

"Hikaru-san didn't want to go in."Tohru said.

"Why not?"he asked again. Although I hadn't looked back up,I knew that he was directing the question particularly at me.

"I..."my voice trailed off again. "I was... afraid."I admitted.

"What were you afraid of?"Shigure asked me,his voice suddenly serious.

"I was afraid that... someone might recognize me. I think I saw a news report about..."I couldn't bring myself to mention it again. It was too much for me to bear,even if the memory was pushed to the farthest point in my mind,I'd still know what I did.

"Oh... you mean what happened the other day."Yuki realized. I stood up,suddenly beginning to feel shakey.

"I-I think I'd like to take a bath..."I mumbled,and looked at the four at the table. "Is that alright?"I asked them.

"Of course it is."Yuki said,with a calm and small smile. I made my way to the bathroom,and shut the door quietly behind me. I took out a towell,and placed it on the counter. I ran the water in the bath,and took off my clothes. I sank into the water with a sigh,trying to relax a little for once. After a while,the water started getting cool,so I got out,wrapping myself in the towell,and picked up my clothes. I rushed down the hallway,not wanting anyone to see me in a towell,and quickly shut the door to my room behind me as I came in. Then,I got dressed. I put on another shirt,and one of my skirts. I went back out,and came to the top of the stairs just as Tohru tripped while going down them.

"Uwaaah!"she yelled,and I gasped. Without thinking,I rushed toward her and grabbed her wrist. I pulled myself closer to her,and gentley embraced her as we both fell. When we hit the floor,I was the first to hit it.

"Hikaru-san?! Honda-san?! Are you alright?"Yuki asked,rushing to us. We got up,and I held my head,which I had bashed against several of the stairs.

"I-I'm fine..."Tohru said,standing up. I went into the fetal position(A/N:Uhm... yeah. i call it fetal position,cause i don't know if that's what it's really called),and held my head as I was overcome with a blinding amount of pain.

"Hikaru-san?!"Yuki said,placing his hand gentley on my shoulder. I could hardly hear him.

"What happened?!"I heard Kyo yell. Their voices were getting distant,and then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up slowly,and found I could hardly sit up. I opened my eyes,and they watered and I squinted as bright light filled my sight. I gentley felt the back of my head,which was the place I had hit,and I winced as I found the sore spot. Er... spots. I sat up,and then laid back down after I began to feel light-headed.

"This is all my fault! If I hadn't been so careless,Hikaru-san wouldn't be hurt!"I heard Tohru's voice freaking out in the other room.

"Honda-san,it's not your fault."Yuki's voice reasurred her.

"Yeah,it's her own fault! She didn't have to do that,she couldn't just grabbed your wrist."Kyo's annoyed voice chimed in.

"No,she couldn't. Honda-san had both her hands full."Yuki retorted.

"How would I have known that?!"Kyo yelled. I tried sitting up again,but I felt light-headed with even the slightest movement to get up. But,being as stubborn as I am,I tried again. And,again,and again,until I felt like my head was going to explode. I gritted my teeth,and I groaned in pain. I gave up on trying to sit up,and clutched my head again.

"Hikaru-san?"Tohru asked to no one in particluar,peeking into the room. She gasped. "Yuki-kun,Kyo-kun! She's awake!"she yelled,and her voice rang loudly in my ears. I groaned again,this time covering my ears.

"Please... don't be so loud..."I got out,and Yuki and Kyo both came in.

"Hikaru-san?"Yuki said,leaning down,looking at me.

"Hnn?"I asked,failing to sit up again.

"Our cousin,Hatori,is coming over to look at the bump on your head. He should be here in a few minutes,so don't be alarmed if a man with black hair comes into the room."he told me. I nodded as best as I could,and laid back down on the futon. Wait a minute... I'm back in Kyo's room? How long had I been unconscious?

"How long... have I been unconscious?"I wondered aloud.

"Surprisingly,only about two hours."Kyo mentioned.

"Only?"I asked.

"Well,that bump is pretty bad,so we expected for you to still be asleep by now."Kyo explained to me.

"Oh..."my voice trailed off. Suddenly,there was a knock at the front door.

"Ah,Hatori! Hello!"Shigure's cheery voice rang throughout the house.

"You have a new resident,and Yuki told me she's hurt."a deep male voice carried into the room.

"Ah,yes! She's in the extra room!"Shigure told him. Footsteps echoed for a little bit,until a tall man opened the door to my room.

"Hello,Tohru,Yuki,Kyo."he said,nodding his head to my friends. Then,a young girl came out from behind the man. She was half-hidden,and gave Tohru a smile.

"Kisa-chaaan!!"Tohru yelled with a big smile,and hugged the girl. The girl's hair looked similiar to Kyo's. Well,the color,accept it had a hint of light-brown in it.

"Hello... Onee-chan."she said,hugging her back with the same smile. Then,she looked at me when Tohru released her,and hid partially behind her.

"Oh,this is Hikaru-san!"Tohru said to her,pointing to me. I nodded my head slightly,indicating a slight bow.

"Hello,Kisa-chan,was it?"Kisa nodded,and I smiled,too. Hatori knelt down beside me.

"Hello. I'm Hatori."he said,and he gentley pulled me up,so I could sit up. He turned my head slightly,and felt the back of my head. I winced and hissed as he touched the sore spot. "What happened?"he asked.

"I fell down the stairs,and Hikaru-san tried to stop me. But,she just fell,too,and she hit her head on the stairs as well both fell."Tohru explained as best as she could.

"I see."he said,and then noticed a large bump forming on my head. "Hikaru,you need to put ice on that bump immediately. If you don't try to reduce the swelling soon,you'll get a concussion."he told me. I nodded,and out of curiousity I felt the bump. Wow... It felt unuasually large. He examined it further. "Hmm..."he muttered.

"What?"I asked.

"I think you may already have one. Tell me,do you feel light-headed any time you move?"he asked,and I winced as I tried to nod.

"Yeah..."I muttered.

"And,does it hurt your ears when someone speaks a little too loudly?"he asked again.

"Uh-huh..."I mumbled.

"You should stay in bed for a few days,and keep ice on the bump. Try not to move too much,and you must keep weight off of the bump."he instructed me. "And,when I say 'a few days',I'm talking about a week."he added.

"Okay."I said. Man... I'm causing far too much trouble for the Sohmas. Hatori stood back up.

"I have to go,now. Kisa,come on."he said,and gestured for Kisa to come with him.

"Bye,Onee-chan."she said,and she hugged Tohru again.

"Goodbye,Kisa-chan!"she said,waving as Kisa and Hatori left the room. I slowly laid back down,wincing as the bump started hurting again. I turned to my side,so my head's weight wasn't on the bump,and Kyo opened the door to the room again.

"I'll go get some ice."he said,and left for the kitchen.

"Hikaru-san,do you need anything?"Tohru asked.

"Because,we'll be very glad to get anything for you."Yuki told me with a small smile.

"No,I'm fine."I told them,putting on a smile I hoped they believed.

"Alright... Just tell us if you need more ice,or something."Yuki said,and he left the room. Tohru soon followed,after I insisted to her that I was fine. But in truth,I was far from fine. I was using all my energy to keep awake. And,I don't even know why I wanted to stay awake. I just... I just did. Kyo then came in with an icepack,and I gave him a small smile.

"Here's the ice."he said,and put it in my hand. I placed it on the back of my head,wincing slightly. "How many stairs did you hit?"he asked,and I thought about it for a little bit.

"I can't remember... I think six."I mentioned,adding 'I think six' after thinking a little longer.

"Must have hurt."he commented.

"Yeah..."my voice trailed off. "Look,I'm really sorry for causing you all so much trouble."I said,looking at the floor. Kyo sighed,and I sensed he was getting annoyed.

"Why...? Why do you always think you're a burden to us?"he asked,sitting down next to me. "You can tell me,I've got time."he said. I really hadn't been expecting that question.

"Aren't I...?"I asked after a little while,my eyes wide.

"No."he told me. "But,why do you think you are?"he asked again,and I gave a quiet sigh.

"I was so happy..."I started.

"Huh?"

"I... _We... _My family. We were always so happy,we were always trying to have as much fun as possible. I was... well,a daddy's girl. There was no one on this planet I loved more than my dad. My mom... well,she was gone for a few years. I didn't know where she went,but she came back,and then she had my sister and brother when I was seven. They were twins,and we all loved eachother..."my voice trailed off again,and I struggled to sit up. I sighed,holding my head,and then Kyo suddenly pulled me up. "Then,when I was eleven years old,my papa got very ill. It took him a year to pass,and when he did,I was devastated. My mom woke me up in the middle of the night,and she,my brother,my sister,and I all rushed to the hospital. By the time we were there,they had already moved him to another room. I went into denial the minute I saw his body,and I refused to believe that he was dead. Then,once I realized he really was gone,it was too late. I was different,and I knew I'd never be able to go back to being myself."I said,and by that time,tears were slowly falling from my eyes.

[flashback

_''Papa... Papa come back! Please!''I yelled,crying on the floor of the hospital room. ''Papa... Papa... Come home... Come home!''I yelled again,refusing to go anywhere until he came back._

_''Hikaru... Please,you're making this harder than it needs to be. Get up.''my mother said,but I still refused. "Get up!"she suddenly yelled._

_''No!''I refused._

_''Get up,now!"she demanded._

_''NO!''_

_''GET UP!"she roared._

_''NO,I WON'T! NOT UNTIL PAPA COMES BACK HOME!''I yelled right back. She suddenly struck me across my face,and I gasped. I held my cheek,staring wide-eyed at the woman in front of me._

_''Don't you get it?! He's dead! He's not coming back! He's never coming back!''she yelled,crying as well._

_''No! He's not dead!''I still refused to believe her._

_''Look! He's right there! He's dead! DEAD!''she yelled,and tried to pick me up. I pushed her away._

_"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME! PAPA'S ALIVE!''I roared,and I headed toward the door._

_''Where are you going?!''she asked me._

_''To find Papa and prove that you're wrong! That person there isn't Papa! I know what Papa looks like!''I said,and my mother grabbed me. She swung me around,and forced me to look at the man that they claimed was Papa._

_''Look! That's him! He's looked like that for the last year,Hikaru! You're just hurting yourself by refusing to believe us!''she yelled,shaking me._

_''Madam,you're hurting her...''Papa's nurse said,stepping toward us. ''You're gripping your daughter too tightly.''she said again. Mama ignored her._

_''THAT'S NOT PAPA!!!''I roared again,and bit Mama's hand. She yelled,and released me. ''I'll find him! I'll prove you all wrong!''I yelled,running out of the room. Luckily,I was the fastest runner in my class,so I lost the nurse that went after me. I didn't even use the elevator,I just ran all the way from the fourth floor to the ground floor down the stairs. I rushed past people,and burst out of the front doors. I kept running,and suddenly,I heard something honking,and screeching. Then,I was hit by a car. I heard various screams,and shouts._

_''That little girl just got hit by a car!''_

_''Somebody get a doctor!''_

_''HIKARU!''Mama yelled,and I closed my eyes as I blacked out._

_[skip ahead in the flashback,three months later_

_''Hikaru,come on...''Mama said,pulling on my arm to make me keep up with her as we walked to the car. I saw Cho,my sister,and Isamu,my brother,peeking out of the window as they waited for me and Mama to come back. I kept my gaze at the floor the entire hour from school back home. ''Hikaru,get out. We're home.''Mama told me rather coldly,and I subconsciously got out of the car,and made my way into our house. I went into my room,and sat down on my bed,comepetely ignoring my homework. I sat there for hours,not moving,until Mama called me down to dinner. I got back up,and made my way into the dining room. I sat down in between Cho and Isamu,and picked up my chopsticks. ''Hikaru... did you finish your homework?''Mama asked. I didn't respond. After a few moments,Mama got up and walked out of the room,leaving her food untouched._

_''Onee-chan... You're worrying Mama.''Isaku said._

_''And us.''Cho added. I still didn't respond,and I began to eat my dinner._

_''Onee-chan,what happened to you?''they asked after a few moments. I stopped eating,and stood up._

_No... Respond to them. Do something!__'I thought to myself,but I still couldn't talk back. I kept my gaze down,and turned to walk out of the room._

_''Onee-chan,please talk!''Cho said,but I walked out anyway. Mama then stopped me from going into my room._

_"Hikaru... Please... Talk to me. Talk to us,your family. Say something... __anything!''__she said,placing her hand on my shoulder. I didn't respond,and she growled. She pushed me down,and I let myself hit the floor. ''Your being rediculus!''she yelled,and I stood up. I walked quickly out of the house,and then Mama grabbed me after she caught up. ''You're not going anywhere!''she yelled,and I pulled from her grasp. I began running,paying no attention to where I was headed. I kept running for a long time,until I suddenly found myself tripping,and falling down into a cold river. I gasped,and swam back up to the surface. After getting back to safe ground,I fell asleep._

_''Hikaru!''Mama's angry voice woke me from my sleep,and my eyes popped open. I sat up,and realized what had happened. Mama grabbed me,and dragged me back home. Once home,she began to avoid me._

_A few days later,she still had been trying to stay away. I came up to her as she sat watching the television,and placed a hand on her arm. I rested my head on her shoulder,and began to cry._

_''It's okay...''Mama began,and I sniffed. ''You don't have to worry about me hating you,anymore.''she said,and I smiled. She gentley pushed me away from her. ''Because... I don't know. I don't know how to love you... anymore.''she said,staring blankly at the television. ''I don't hate you,but I don't love you,either.''My smiled faded,and I looked at her with wide eyes. ''You don't have to go,Hikaru. Just... try not to be anymore of a burden to everyone than you already are.''she told me,and got up and left me alone to cry. How could she say that with such a blank face? I got up as well,and locked myself in my bedroom for the rest of the day._

[end flashback

I finished telling Kyo my reason for always thinking myself of a burden,and I couldn't meet his gaze.

"Hikaru..."his voice trailed off. It sounded weak,and I bit my bottom lip. "I'm sorry that you went through that."he told me,and I looked up at him. I met his gaze,and shook my head.

"Don't."I muttered. "Don't feel sorry for me..."I told him.

"There you go again,thinking you're not worthy of anyone's care!"Kyo sighed,and I quickly looked back down. There was a long period of awkward silence,until Kyo spoke up again. "Hey... What happened to you,three months after your dad died? I mean,you never spoke,and you hardly went to school. You're speaking now,so what happened that made you speak?"he asked.

"I met someone at my school. She and I became good friends."I started.

[yet another flashback

_"Class,we have a new student that just transferred from Class B!"Yanami-sensei said with a smile,standing at the door to our homeroom. She opened it,and a girl with long,black hair shyly stepped in. "Class,please welcome Saki Hanajima."she said,and I then noticed she was wearing all black. She didn't look at any of us. "Hmm... Oh,how about you sit with Miss Misuka?"Yanami-sensei suggested,and Saki looked up. "Please wave,so Saki knows where you are."she said,and I waved after a moment. Saki slowly made her way toward me,and sat in the empty seat. I looked back down at my desk,and she didn't say a word._

_"It's the witch!"one of my classmates pointed out. "Don't get near her,or she'll hit you with her poison-waves!"he said again. Half an hour later,the lunch bell rang. Saki sat alone,trying to eat her lunch while the other students threw bits of their food at her from a distance._

_"Witch! Go back where you came from!"several of them yelled,and others agreed just as loudly. I decided to get to know her,so I sat with her,while the students around us gasped. "Is that girl crazy? The Witch'll try to kill her!"i heard some of them say to another. Saki looked up from her plate,and looked at me._

_"What are you doing? Aren't you scared of me?"she asked,I shook my head,and gave her a small smile. Then,she asked me my name._

_"Don't bother aksing her anything,Witch! She doesn't talk!"one girl near us sneered. I looked back down at my plate after Saki shot a small glare to the girl._

_"Well,do any of you know her name?"she asked them._

_"We're not telling!"they all yelled._

_"Hikaru..."I muttered quietly,and everyone gasped. I looked up at Saki,ignoring the shocked faces of my classmates. "I'm... Hikaru Misuka..."I told her,and she gave me a small smile._

_"I'm Saki Hanajima."she said,and we both bowed. But after that moment,I went back to being unable to speak. I wanted to,but... I just couldn't. She and I wound up being the best of friends, despite the taunts and teases from practically everyone. But then one day,one of our classmates pushed their luck. He burned her arm with a cigarette lighter,and then the class told Yanami-sensei that she did it to herself. Saki had to treat that burn for two weeks before it stopped hurting. The more she cried,the more I cried. I then found myself being taunted by the same boy,because I never spoke. And,because I was friends with Saki._

_"What's with you?! Why don't you talk?!"he asked,after he and two of his friends cornered me,while the other two kept Saki from getting to me. I looked down at the ground. "And why are you always looking down at the ground? Do you think you're better than everyone else? Huh?!"he yelled.grabbing my arms and pushing me backwards. I stumbled until I hit the wall,and I sank to my knees. He kicked me in my side,enough to hurt,but not enough to do serious damage. "And why are you friends with that Witch?! She tried to kill someone in her other class,for no reason!!"he yelled. I started shaking,but not with fear. I was shaking with fury. I stood back up,and glared at the boy. I pushed him back,with twice the strength he put into his push. The words I wanted to speak played in my head,and I was trying my hardest to say them,but they didn't come out. "What's your problem?!"he yelled,trying to "play innocent". I growled,and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt._

_"What's __your__ problem?!"I finally yelled,making the whole class stop with what they were doing,and gape at me. "What's with __you__?! Why do you treat me like this?!"I snarled,shaking him. Then,I remembered Saki,and the burn he gave her. I swung him to my side,forcing him to hit the wall,making him yell in surprise. "Do you know why Saki did that to that boy?! He made her eat a Newt! A __NEWT__! And,she didn't even mean to hurt him! It just happened!!"I roared,and punched the boy in the face. "You hurt her,and she didn't deserve it!"I yelled again,then everything went black. All of a sudden,Saki and Yanami-sensei were restraining me as I struggled to hit the boy I had just been yelling at._

_"Hikaru! STOP!"Yanami-sensei yelled,and I gasped as I saw the boy bleeding on the floor. His arm was twisted in a sickening way,and his nose was broken. I backed away,and I stumbled to the floor,shaking. I looked at my hands,and saw the boy's blood all over my arms._

_"What happened?"I asked._

_"Are you serious?! You're trying to act innocent after you beat him nearly to death in front of Yanami-sensei?!"a classmate yelled at me,pointing to the boy on the floor._

_"No,I'm not! I'm just confused! One second I was holding him by the collar of his shirt,and the next you're claiming I just beat him half to death!"I protested._

_"Because you did!"she retorted._

_"Call an ambulance!"Yanami-sensei ordered us as she knelt beside the boy,and she looked at me. "Hikaru,what could he have possible done to cause you to hurt him like this?!"she asked me,but I was too shaken to respond. Instead,I got up,and ran. I ran from school,all the way home. By the time I got home,Mama was waiting for me. She grabbed me,and pulled me inside._

_"What in the world did you do?!"she yelled. I opened my mouth to speak,but instead I threw up. "Ugh!"she yelled,instantly jumping away from me. I went to my hands and knees,and coughed loudly as soon as I was done. She cleaned me up,and sent me to my room for the rest of the day. The following week,I agreed to go back to school. By that time,I received news that my only friend,Saki,had moved away. I became even more distant,because there was no one who cared._

_A year later,one day I came home to fine Mama,Cho,and Isaku dead. I found a note,written by Mama._

_'Hikaru,I hope you're reading this. This day will be the last day you'll ever see me,and your brother and sister again. You were too much of a burden for me,and I decided to save Cho and Isaku from your selfishness,too. For this past year and a half,I didn't know where I went wrong,but now I do. __I had you__. That's where I went wrong,Hikaru. I thought of killing __you__,for the sake of your brother and sister,but then I remembered I'd be put in jail for it. Then,they'd have to be living alone,and I wasn't going to let that happen. Goodbye,and good riddance to you.' the note read,and I couldn't take it. I broke. I broke down completely._

_'It's my fault... It's my fault! I was too much of a burden for them to bear. I'm not needed. I'm not __wanted__...'I thought,sinking to my knees,shaking uncontrollably. 'Why... Why?... Why?! Why did I turn out like this?! Why did I not see how selfish I was being?! WHY?!'I kept asking myself,until I finally lost it. I tore apart nearly eveything in the house out of anger,except for my family,whom I left untouched. After that,I ran. I ran until I reached Saki's house. It was deserted,no one had bought the house since Saki and her familymoved away. I ran again,until I collapsed. I couldn't even move._

[end flashback

I put my face in my hands,crying softly. I couldn't belive I just told Kyo all of that,but I felt like I could trust him.

"You knew Hanajima?"Kyo asked me after a little bit,and I wiped my face and looked up at him.

"Yeah... do you?"I asked,my eyes wide.

"She's Tohru's best friend."he told me,and I gasped.

"She's here? In this town?!"I asked Kyo,and he nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

_--Normal P.O.V.--_

The bump on Hikaru's head only took about four days to go away,so Hatori said she was free to walk around,as long as she was careful not to hit her head again. Hikaru went into the kitchen one morning,and asked if Tohru needed help starting breakfast.

"Oh,no,it's okay! You don't have to go to the trouble of helping me!"she said,waving hands around in front of her,and Hikaru sighed.

"Let me rephrase that:I'm making breakfast today."she told her,and shooed her out of the kitchen before she could protest.

"Miss Honda,what's the matter?"Yuki asked Tohru as Hikaru shooed her out of the kitchen.

"Oh,nothing! Hikaru said she's making breakfast today."Tohru told him with a small smile,and Yuki smiled.

"That's nice of her..."he said,and he sat down at the table. Meanwhile,Hikaru was busy making tea for them all. _'Hmm... I wonder if Kyo-kun or Sohma-kun drink tea?'_she thought,and shrugged. _'I'll just make some anyway,incase they do.'_she thought again,and checked on the teapot. It wasn't warming up yet,so she began thinking of what she could make for them all to thank them for taking her in,even if it was for only two weeks or so.

"I know! I'll make Egg Meso Soup!"she said with a small smile,and looked for the ingredients. _'Man,there's not enough to make it...'_she thought,and looked for something else to make. She decided to make onigiris(or 'riceballs',for any potential readers who may not know yet),since it was one of the few things she could still make. She then realized that she didn't know what flavors to put in them. She searched yet again,then finally gave in to Salted Salmon,Umeboshi(or 'pickled plum'),and Leeks,since those were the only things they had at the moment. Then,she suddenly remembered the tea. She hurriedly put down her ingredients for the onigiris,and rushed to the tea. She grabbed the lid of the pot with a towell,so she didn't get burned,and checked on he tea. It was boiling,and she looked at the clock. _'Good,it's done!'_she thought with a small smile,and got out five teacups and a tray. She poured the tea,and came out of the kitchen. "I made some tea,since it's a little colder today."she said with a small smile,and noticed that Shigure and Kyo were missing from the table.

"Shigure and Kyo haven't gotten up,yet."Tohru told Hikaru,and Hikaru gave them their cup of tea.

"I hope you like it,I'm not very good at making tea..."her voice trailed off,and Yuki Tohru both took a sip.

"It's delicious!"Tohru commented,and Hikaru looked at the floor.

"I agree,it's very tasty,Hikaru-san."Yuki told her as well,and she blushed slightly.

"I'll go make breakfast,now..."she said,and went back into the kitchen with the other cups of tea,so she could warm it up incase it became cold when Kyo and Shigure came out. She cooked the rice,along with the Salmon,and Leeks(A/N:I have no idea if you're supposed to cook the Umeboshi,so I'm just leaving those out from this part. XP). Meanwhile,Shigure got up,and wobbled half-asleep into the living room yawning.

"Good morning."he yawned.

"I'm surprised that you actually woke up this morning and _thought_ it's morning."Kyo muttered bitterly,appearing out of nowhere. Hikaru heard the two other voices,and instantly checked on Kyo's and Shigure's tea. It was getting cold,so she poured fresh tea from the pot,and brought it out to them.

"I made tea."she told them,and Shigure took his cup with a thank you. Kyo just looked at Tohru,as if asking what was going on.

"Oh,Hikaru-san is making breakfast today!"Tohru told him with a smile,and took another drink of her tea.

"Uh... thanks."Kyo said to Hikaru,and took the cup from her hands.

"Ahh,Hikaru! This tea is very delicious!"Shigure commented,and Hikaru smiled.

"I've got to check on the food!"she suddenly realized,and rushed into the kitchen. Kyo rolled his eyes.

_'She's like Tohru.'_he thought,and took a drink of the tea. Hikaru checked on everything,and took the rice out of the ricecooker,since that was the first that was done. She placed it in a bowl to cool off,and then took the Salmon and Leeks off the stove once they were done. She put it all in the fridge tro cool faster,and put the tea back on the stove to warm it up again. That didn't take long,so she went back into the living room.

"Do any of you want more tea?"she asked quietly,and they looked at her.

"I'd like some!"Shigure cheered.

"Yes,please."Yuki said with a small smile.

"Mm-hm!"Tohru agreed with Yuki,and Hikaru looked at Kyo.

"I'm still drinking my first cup."he muttered,looking away,and Hikaru frowned slightly. But,she still took the other's cups to get them more tea.

_'I hope I didn't upset Kyo-kun in some way...'_she thought to herself as she went back into the kitchen.

"Kyo,I think Hikaru thinks she upset you."Shigure told Kyo,who sighed.

"She always thinks she's done something to upset us!"Kyo retorted. "I'm not even upset,I'm just tired."he sighed again.

"I still think you should tell her when she comes back out that you're not upset."Shigure suggested.

"Alright,whatever."Kyo said,looking at the cup in his hands. In the kitchen,Hikaru was pouring the tea for her friends. She took the tea back out,handed the cups to them,and went back into the kitchen yet again to finish making breakfast before Kyo could open his mouth to speak. She took the rice,Salmon,and Leeks out of the fridge. She put the Umeboshi in a bowl as well. She made the riceballs-minus the Nori(or 'dried seaweed paper'),since they had none at the moment. She put the different flavors on different plates,so she didn't get them mixed up,and put the plates on a larger tray. Then,she came out of the kitchen.

"I hope you like Onigiris,because I made plenty."she said with a small smile.

"Oh,wow! Hikaru-san,I didn't know you could make Onigiris!"Tohru commented with the same smile.

"It's one of the only things I can make..."Hikaru said,placing the tray on the table with the same small smile. "Oh,before I forget,the flavors are-"she started,but Kyo had already took a bite of one of them. The look on his face a few seconds later was frightening,because he looked like he was about to die. He took his napkin,and spit out the bit of food in his mouth.

"What are you doing putting Leeks in a riceball?!"he asked Hikaru,who shrunk back a little.

"I-I'm sorry... do you not like Leeks?"she asked as well.

"I hate 'em!"Kyo yelled,and Hikaru shrunk back a little more.

"I'm sorry,I guess I should have asked before I made them..."her voice trailed off as she lowered her head. "It was all I could find,along with the Salmon and Umeboshi."she continued,looking at the ground. There was a moment of silence. "I'm sorry... if I upset you,Kyo-kun."she said,and went back into the kitchen to clean up her mess. Kyo realized what he had said,and hit his head against the table.

"I'm so stupid..."he muttered,balling his hand into a fist and hitting himself on the back of his head.

"I think you should go talk to her,Kyo. It might make her feel better."Shigure suggested again,and Kyo got up. He went into the kitchen,and saw Hikaru crying with her back turned to the door.

"Uh..."his voice trailed off,and Hikaru gasped. She wiped her face quickly,and turned around.

"Kyo-kun! I-I wasn't crying,I just had something in my eye!"she said a little too quickly,and that immediately gave it away that she indeed been crying.

"Hey,I'm not mad."Kyo told her,walking over to her as she looked at the ground. "You didn't do anything to upset me,Hikaru."he reassured her. "I just... I just get annoyed easily."he said again,and the air between them thickened. "Wait,what I mean is-! I mean,almost everything annoys me,you see. I can't help it,I just get mad alot. So..."Kyo's voice trailed off as she looked back up at him,with her slightly wide,expressive eyes. He placed his hand under one of her eyes,and caught a tear as it came out on the tip of his index finger. "Don't think that you've done something wrong,if I get mad."he told her,and she sniffed.

"I'm sorry... I just can't help it,either."she mumbled.

'I know... but... what your mother made you believe,it's not true. You're not selfish,you're not a burden. You're _you_. And you just happen to be different than everyone else,like my family."he said,beginning to blush. He tried to hide the color coming to his face,but that just made him blush more. "And,I... I don't like it when you get all upset because you think you've done something wrong. Espcecially if you haven't done anything."he said,blushing a deeper red. Hikaru blushed as well,and Kyo looked away from her gaze,as if thinking that not looking her in the eyes would stop him from blushing. Alas,the color didn't go away,and there was a period of silence between them. Hikaru gave him a small smile.

"I'll eat breakfast after I clean the kitchen-"

"Oh no you don't."Kyo said,gentley grabbed her wrist. "You're eating with us."he told her,and he brought her with him back into the living room.

"Oh,but-"

"No buts!"he told her firmly,and they sat down at the table. Kyo grabbed an Onigiri,and smelled it.

"That one's Salmon."Hikaru told him,and he took a bite.

"Hey,it is good."he told her with a smile,and she blushed again.

"I'm not that good at making them..."she said,looking at her empty plate.

"Come on,eat."Kyo said,placing an onigiri on her plate. Hikaru hesitantly took it,and began to eat. After a couple of minutes,she finished it. She reached for another Onigiri,but pulled her hand away slightly. "Don't hesitate to eat the food _you_ cooked!"Kyo told her,rolling his eyes,and she took another one after a second. She only ate about half of it,until she suddenly began to feel sick. But,she shrugged it off,and put the Onigiri down on her plate.

"I'll go clean the kitchen,now..."she said,standing up.

Kyo looked at her,and,for the first time,noticed she was unusually thin. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. "No,you're not. You're gonna eat."he told her,glancing at her before taking another bite of his food.

"But-"

"You need to eat."Kyo told her rather firmly,and she looked back at her plate. "You shouldn't be so skinny,you obviously haven't eaten much for a long time,now _eat._" By this time,the other the residents of the house were staring.

"My,my... Kyo-kun,since when have you become so caring about Hikaru-san?"Shigure asked,and they all immediately got what he was implying. WHACK. Shigure crashed to the floor as Kyo carressed his fist.

"You be quiet!"he told him,glaring. "I'm concerned,so what? Friends are supposed to be concerned about eachother."Kyo said,then realized that was probably the wrong thing to say at the moment. Hikaru looked up at Kyo with her wide,expressive eyes,slightly bewildered.

_'Friends? Kyo-kun wants to be friends with me?'_she thought,and Kyo met her gaze for a split second before he looked away.

"Ah! Kyo-kun's got a crush!"Shigure commented,and that earned himself a second knot on his head to go with the previous one Kyo just gave him.

"I DO NOT!"he roared,color rushing to his cheeks.

Suddenly,as if on cue(because Shigure had prayed for it),the phone rang. Shigure was the first to get to it,and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello,Shigure. How's Hikaru?"Hatori's voice came from the other line.

"Ah,she's doing fine! She even made us breakfast today!"Shigure announced.

"She hasn't hit her head again?"he asked again.

"No,not at all!"Shigure replied.

"That's good."Hatori told him,then he was silent for a few moments. "Akito has been discussing the matter of whether Hikaru should have her memories erased with me and Kureno."he finally said,and Shigure stiffened.

"Has he decided?"he asked rather quietly,and Hatori paused,as if thinking of how to put his next words.

"He decided that Hikaru can kep her memories,on one condition:She must continue to live in your household,or she will have them erased."Hatori told him grimly,and,for once,Shigure had no idea what to say. "It's Hikaru's choice,so don't force her to do anything."Hatori warned him,and hung up. Shigure put the phone back on the hook,and sighed.

--------------------------------------

Oooh! A cliff-hanger! tell me what you think,peoples! Oh,and there's something I forgot to mention at the begininning of chapter 1... I. Do. Not. Own. Furuba. Fruits Basket is copyright to Natsuki Takaya(I thinkz thats how her name's spelled... i'm not good with remembering how to spell her name off the top of meh head XP),and if I DID own it,I'd never waste my time writing fanfics cause it'd mess up the actual storyline of the series BIG TIME. So,ha.


	6. Chapter 6

Shigure put the phone back on the hook,and sighed. He rubbed his head,which was throbbing where Kyo had hit him,and went back into the living room.

"Hikaru,may I please speak with you? Alone?"he asked,and Kyo glared.

"No way,you perv."Kyo said,but Hikaru got up and made her way toward him.

"Thank you."Shigure said,leading Hikaru into the kitchen. He opened his mouth to speak,but instead sighed. "I just got off the phone with Hatori,and he told me Akito had been discussing whether he would allow you to keep your memories of the Sohma family,and our curse."he told her. Hikaru had guessed as much,since she had found out such a big secret,and plus Yuki had already told her about the whole 'if-Akito-says-so,we'll-have-to-erase-your-memories' thing.

"What did he say?"Hikaru asked after a moment.

"Akito said that it's your choice,but if you choose you keep them you must live with us in this household."he told her,and her eyes widened.

"Oh,b-but I shouldn't trouble you,I-"she cut herself off,remembering what Kyo had told her. _What your mother made you believe,it's not true. You're not selfish,you're not a burden. You're you. And you just happen to be different than everyone else,like my family..._

Hikaru looked at the floor.

"I know,it's a hard choice."Shigure said,placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Tell me... you don't want to 'burden us',right?"he asked,and she shook her head. "But,you don't want to forget us,either?"he asked again,and she shook her head again. "Choose whatever you wish,but remember:Each choice you make has a consequence. Think of the possible concenquences for each,then decided."he told her,and she nodded.

"I'll think about it while I clean the kitchen..."she murmurred,and Shigure left. Kyo looked at him,still glaring.

"What were you talking with her about?"Yuki asked,also giving Shigure a suspecting look. Shigure sat down with a sigh,rubbing his forehead.

"Akito has given Hikaru a very tough decision to make,on her part."he began,and they all stared at him with their full attention.

"What do you mean?"Kyo asked,squinting at him.

"Akito has been discussing the matter of erasing Hikaru's memories."Shigure explained,and they all stiffened,Kyo in particular. "But,"Shigure added,"he said it's her choice this time. He said that if she chooses to keep them,she must continue living here,but,if she chooses to leave,then her memories will be erased."Shigure told them.

Hikaru had cleaned half the kitchen,but she hardly noticed so.

_'This is so confusing... Kyo-kun says I'm not a burden,but I can't help but think I __am__. I don't want to trouble them,so I'd have to leave,but then I'd have to forget them. I don't want that,because then they'd be sad about it. They'd know I'd never remember,and then I really would be troubling them. But,I'm troubling them,now... aren't I? No,Kyo-kun said I'm not. But,what if I am? What if Kyo-kun was just saying that? No,he wouldn't do that. Would he? No. Y-yes...? No... I don't know!'_her thoughts raced until she felt dizzy. She leaned against the counter top with a sigh,and closed her eyes. _'Ugh. This is so confusing... It frustrating!'_she thought again. '_Maybe... It'd be best if I forgot? If... If my memories could be erased,couldn't they just erase theirs? But... Kyo-kun said he was my friend,didn't he? Are they __all__ my friends? I don't know... I still wouldn't want to forget them,even if they weren't...'_she thought,and she then remembered that she still had to clean the rest of the kitchen. She began cleaning again,still trying to decide. After a few minutes,she finished,and walked back into the living room. The eyes of her friends fell upon her,and she looked at her feet,not wanting to meet their gazes. There was an awkward silence,and then she looked back up.

"I..."her voice trailed off. "I don't know."she got out. "I'm sorry,but I just don't know."

"Hikaru,you're not troubling-"Kyo started.

"Kyo,no. This is her decision,don't influence her by telling her any of that."Shigure cut him off,and Kyo glared at him.

"What are you saying? Do _you_ think she's a burden?!"Kyo asked,cleching his fists.

"No,I'm just saying not to influence her anymore than you have."Shigure said,raising his hands up in defence. Hikaru looked back at her feet,not knowing what to tell them.

"I want..."her voice trailed off again as she thought about her decision more. "I want to stay here. I want to keep my memories,I want to be friends."she told them. "I want nothing more than to stay..."her voice was shaky,but she refused to cry again.

"Are you sure that's your decision?"Shigure asked,wanting her to be absolutely sure.

"Yes. I'm very sure."she told him,looking back up to see them all smiling at her.

"Well,then,I need to ask... What's your age?"Shigure asked Hikaru,who was taken off gaurd by that question. Yuki and Kyo were both ready to beat their cousin's face in,and Tohru was clueless as to what exactly Shigure meant.

"Oh,um... I-I just turned seventeen a few months ago..."she told him.

"Then you'll need to finish highschool,am I right?"he asked,and Yuki and Kyo both relaxed.

"Um,w-well,I... Yeah."she mumbled,looking away from them again.

"Alright,then. I'll go get you registered,the school year starts next week."Shigure said,standing up. "I'll be back in a little while."he told them as he opened the front door. As soon as he left,Tohru sqealed.

"Hikaru-san! You're staying!"she hugged Hikaru tightly.

"Tohru-chan! I can't breathe!"Hikaru gasped for air,and Tohru let her go with a gasp.

"I'm so sorry,Hikaru-san! Did I hurt you?!"she asked,waving her hands frantically in the air.

"I'm okay..."Hikaru caught her breath.

"I'm glad you decided to stay,Hikaru-san."Yuki smiled,and Hikaru smiled back.

"Thank you all,for everything you've done to make me feel welcome."she bowed.

"It's no trouble."Tohru told her with a smile. Hikaru thought of asking Tohru about Saki,but decided not to at the moment. Kyo left the room after a few minutes,and Yuki excused himself to go to his secret base. Tohru and Hikaru talked with eachother,mostly about school,and if Hikaru would like it or not. Shigure came home about half an hour later.

"I'm home!"he called. "You're officially a student at Kaibara High!"he gave her a smile,and she smiled back.

"Thank you,Shigure-sama."she bowed again.

--------------------------------------

Hikaru sleepily got out of bed,and stumbled down the stairs half-awake. She was the second one to get up;Kyo was sitting at the table drinking milk(Of course! X3). Kyo noticed Hikaru was slightly out-of-it,and raised an eyebrow:Hikaru wasn't really awake yet,she was sleep-walking.

"Uh,Hikaru? You awake?"he asked as she made her way toward the table. She blinked,but didn't respond. He waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Come on,wake up."Kyo sighed when she still didn't wake. She walked in a random direction,only to bump into a wall. "Oi! You're gonna get brain damage from all the times you've hit your head!"Kyo shot up from his seat. Hikaru still didn't wake up,and Kyo was getting annoyed. He grabbed her wrist,pulled her back to the table,and sat her down. She woke up,and yawned.

"Kyo-kun...?"she asked sleepily,rubbing her eyes.

"Finally,you woke up!"he sighed.

"Was I sleep-walking again?"she asked him.

"Again? You've done it before?"

"Ever since I was four."she giggled,and Kyo couldn't help but smile. "I guess I'm nervous about school... I sleepwalk when something's bothering me or if I'm nervous about something."she sighed.

"Hey everyone's nervous about going to a new school."Kyo commented,drinking more milk.

"I guess..."Hikaru sighed. Tohru then came down,and smiled as soon as she saw them.

"Good morning!"she said,setting her schoolbag down near the front door.

"Morning."Hikaru smiled back. Yuki came down twenty minutes later,and Tohru served breakfast. After they ate,and got completely ready,they left.

"Good morning-"Shigure yawned,then was cut off by the sound of the front door closing. "Ah,I'm all alone..."Shigure sighed sadly,sitting down at the table.

"Hikaru-san,do you want me to go with you to pick up your schedule?"Yuki asked Hikaru as the four of them walked to school,and Kyo glared at nothing in particular when he heard that question. "You know,since you don't know your way around the campus."

"Oh,um... Sure."she gave him a small smile. The four talked about random things until they reached school.

"We'll see you in class!"Tohru waved goodbye as she and Kyo went their separate ways from Yuki and Hikaru.

"This way."Yuki led Hikaru around the building,and they reached the Front Office. The assistant behind the desk gave Yuki a smile.

"Hello,Yuki."she said,and he gave her a smile.

"Hello. My friend needs her schedule."Yuki gestured to Hikaru,who was focusing her attention to the wall. They left after a minute,Hikaru's schedule in her hand,and walked back around to the entrance of the school. "What class are you in,Hikaru-san?"Yuki asked. Hikaru looked at her schedule for a moment.

"Class 2-A."she told him,and he smiled.

"Well,it looks like you're in our class."he was obviously referring to himself,Tohru,and Kyo. Hikaru smiled as well.

"Looks like it."she put the schedule in the pocket of her skirt,which she noticed was longer than most of the girls's skirts. She thought about what had happened the first time she lost control,and what it did to the others around her. She thought about her mother,her brother and sister. She thought about Saki. Why did she move so suddenly,anyway? They entered the classroom together,and the teacher greeted them with a smile.

"Hello,Mr. Sohma."she said,and Yuki bowed. Hikaru bowed as well,after receiving some stares from the others in the room.

"Hello,sensei."Yuki gave her a smile.

"I suppose you're Hikaru Ishiyama?"she looked at Hikaru,who nodded. "If you want,I'll intoduce you."she wanted Hikaru to feel welcome on her first day,and she sensed Hikaru was very nervous. Hikaru looked at the floor,and Ms. Inane(EE-naw-nay) turned to the class. "We have a new student this year."her voice rang throughout the classroom,and the talking from the students ceased immediately. "Please make Ishiyama,Hikaru feel welcome."she gestured to Hikaru,who was silent. "Hikaru,would you like to tell the class a little about yourself?"she asked her,and she looked up at the students. Hikaru opened her mouth,but nothing came out. This was her past all over again;her family had moved after her father died,and this was almost exactly like her first day at her new middle school. Her heart started pounding,she couldn't supress her memories. She closed her mouth,and swallowed a lump in her throat.

She was in middle school,and her class was laughing at her. She couldn't speak,her eyes were dull and blank-

No,she was with her friends,in high school. Her heart was pounding even more,and she could feel the students stares burning a large hole in her forehead.

Ms. Yanami was trying to quiet the rest of the students down,but they just kept laughing and pointing at her-

No,no! She was trying to introduce herself at the high school. She opened her mouth again,but couldn't speak. As she predicted,some of the others started laughing at her. _Just like in middle school..._

"Thank you for trying,Hikaru."Ms. Inane,placed her hand on Hikaru's shoulder,and Hikaru looked back down at the floor as the laughter grew louder. "That's enough!"she told the students,and they stopped laughing. "Hikaru,how about you sit with Miss Hanajima?"she suggested,and Hikaru's eyes widened. "Saki,please wave."she said,and Hana waved one of her hands. Hikaru looked up,and saw Hana waving. Hikaru knew those eyes anywhere:that was definitely Saki Hanajima. She had to use everything she had to not cry tears of joy upon seeing her best friend for the first time in years. She slowly made her way over to her,and sat down in the empty seat next to her. Hana sensed Hikaru was someone different,someone she knew but couldn't remember.


	7. Chapter 7

Hikaru had temporarily forgotten that her friends were there:it felt like middle school again,and she had reclused from everyone. She hadn't spoken at all,and recieved constant stares from other students. When their lunch break came,she slipped out of the classroom alone,and walked around the halls. Hikaru didn't want to bump into anyone who might upset her,so she tried to keep herself occupied. But,her mind started wandering,and she found herself bumping into someone familiar:Saki.

"I-I'm sorry..."Hikaru mumbled,looking down.

"Hey,you're the girl that came in with the Sohmas and Tohru,right?"a taller,tougher-looking girl with blonde hair asked.

"Th-the Sohm...?"Hikaru then realized she wasn't in her middle school anymore,and she gasped. "Tohru-chan,Kyo-kun,Yuki-kun!"she looked around,panicking because she also realized she was utterly lost.

"Oi,calm down!"the tough girl said,and Hikaru shut her mouth and looked up at her. "I'm Arisa Uotani,and this is Saki Hanajima. We're Tohru's friends. You're her friend,too?"she asked,and she nodded. Hikaru looked Saki in the eyes,and saw hardly an expression of slight confusion. She couldn't surpress her joy of finding her,and tears slipped down her face. Arisa looked a little confused to why Hikaru was crying so suddenly,and she sniffed.

"S-Saki-chan...!"Hikaru lowered her head,her bangs hiding her eyes. Saki's eyes widened a little... Only one person has ever called her that. But,no... That couldn't be her,could it? No,her friend's name wasn't Ishiyama,it was Misuka.

"Hana,why is she calling you 'Saki-chan'?"Arisa looked even more confused.

"I-I don't know..."Saki was uncertain. Her voice showed it,as did her expression.

"Saki-chan,it's me. It's Hikaru,from middle school."Hikaru was shocked Saki didn't remember.

"No,you're not. Her last name was Misuka,yours is Ishiyama."Saki still wasn't sure.

"No,I changed my last name... After you moved,a year later,my mom killed herself and Cho,and Isaku. She said in her suicide note she couldn't handle me,that I was too much of a burden. I ran after that,and my cousin took me in-"

"Stop it."

"-and I changed my last name. You're little brother's name is Megumi,and he can put curses on people-"

"_Stop it._"

"You have powers,too-"

"_Stop it!_"Saki yelled,covering her ears. "You're not her! I'd know if you were her!"she started walking away,and Hikaru grabbed her wrist.

"You got a burn from a cigarette lighter from a boy in our class!"she yelled,crying harder,and lifted the sleeve of Saki's arm to reveal a small scar on her arm. "I burned myself,too,because I didn't want you to feel alone!"Hikaru lifted her sleeve as well,and revealed a scar identical to Saki's. Saki stared,wide-eyed,at Hikaru. "I attacked him,I couldn't control my rage! I used to never speak,I was in shock from my father's death!"Hikaru yelled still,and released Saki's arm. Saki was shocked to see her friend after so many years,and could hardly believe at was really her. "You couldn't control your powers,and you caused a boy in your class to collapse,and he was hospitalized for a month..."Hikaru hiccupped,and wiped her face.

"It's really you..."Saki placed her hand over her mouth and she tried not to cry. But,the tears came down anyway. "Hikaru!"she nearly knocked Hikaru to the floor when she hugged her. Hikaru hugged her back,both of them crying. Arisa was totally lost,so Hikaru and Saki explained what they were talking about.

"So... You had a friend before Tohru and me?"Aris asked,and Saki nodded,looking at her feet. "Why didn't you tell us?"she asked again.

"I thought I'd never see her again,and I couldn't stand the thought. I guess... I started forcing the memories of her to the back of my mind,and I eventually forgot all together."Saki explained.

"Alright..."Arisa chose to belive her... for now.

"Saki-chan,why didn't you tell me you were moving?"Hikaru asked.

"I wanted to tell you at school... but,you weren't there. You never took me over to your house,and... I didn't have your phone number. I felt so bad that I couldn't tell you,really I did."

"Wait a minute... Hikaru,do you have any special powers?"Arisa asked,and Saki shot a slight glare at her. "Hey,I was just wondering."Arisa raised her hands up in defense to Saki's glare.

"No,I don't."Hikaru told her,still giving her a smile.

"Hey,you three,you'd better be on your way back to class,the bell's gonna ring soon."one of the teachers turned a corner,and Hikaru looked around,wondering where her class even was.

"Follow us."Saki said as her and Arisa started walking,and Hikaru followed them(duhh.). They arrived at their classroom,and took their seats. They saw some girls gathering around Yuki's desk,which was just ahead of Hikaru's.

"Yuki,I missed you over vacation."

"I did too,Sohma-kun,did you miss me?"

"Here we go..."Arisa sighed,hitting her forehead on her desk.

"Ah,Uo-chan! You shouldn't do that,you'll hurt yourself."Tohru said,waving one hand frantically in the air. Arisa looked up with a smile.

"Alright,Tohru. I won't do that anymore."she said,resting her chin on her hand. The girls cramming around Yuki asked many questions,hardly leaving any room for him to answer.

Hikaru tapped Yuki on the shoulder,and he turned around. "Yuki-kun,are these more friends?"she asked quietly,and the Sohma Fan Club turned their attention to Hikaru. The apparent leader of the group scowled and got in her face.

"You have no right to call him Yuki-kun! Call him Sohma-kun,new girl!"she said.

"Why?"she asked.

"Because,Yuki Sohma is the prince of Kaibara High! You have no right to address him that way!"she said.

"And why is that?"Hikaru asked. Saki got the feeling Hikaru was getting mad,and she hoped she was wrong.

"Well-well,because,uh-"

"Because you said so?"Hikaru guessed,and the leader closed her mouth. "What gives _you_ the right to tell everyone what they can and can't say?"Hikaru asked again,standing up. "Just because you're obsessed with Yuki-kun doesn't mean you have the right to tell people what to call him!"she said,clenching her fists.

"That's alright,Hikaru-san. You may call me what you wish."Yuki was now standing as well,and had gentley taken Hikaru's hand in his. "You don't need to get upset..."he whispered in her ear,and she nodded.

"Please,everyone sit down!"Ms. Inane said after the bell rang,and they all took their seats. "Where's Kyo Sohma?"she asked,after noticing that Kyo was indeed gone from the room. No one answered. Kyo of course,was on the roof of the school,intending to skip the rest of the day. The rest of the day went by like a blur to Hikaru,and before she knew it,they were walking home.

"Tohru-chaaan! Guten Tag!"Momiji skipped happily over to them,followed by a mad-because-school-is-so-freaking-boring looking Hatsuharu.

"Hi,Momiji!"she smiled at him.

"Hello Yuki."Haru said,and Yuki said hello. Haru noticed Hikaru,who was talking with Kyo. "Who's that?"he asked,and Tohru suddenly tripped.

"Uwaah!"she yelled,falling face-first to the ground.

"I just told you to watch your step a minute ago!"Kyo stopped in his tracks and looked Tohru,who was holding her forehead.

"S-sorry..."she mumbled,and Hikaru helped her up.

"Tohruuu?! Are you hurt?! Huh,are you?!"Momiji yelled.

"I-I'm fine,Momiji-"

"I'll give you a hug so you'll feel better!"Momiji punched his fist into the air.

"Momiji,no-!"Yuki,Haru,and Kyo yelled. Too late. There was a _POOF!_,and a puff of yellow smoke,and Momiji was replaced by a yellow rabbit. Hikaru stared,her eyes wide.

"He's a rabbit! Kyo-kun,is he a member of the Zodiac,too?"she asked,and Yuki and Kyo nodded.

"Wait,she knows,too?"Haru asked,eyeing Hikaru.

"Yes,Akito has allowed her to know about the Curse."Yuki told him. Momiji sat on the ground pouting while Kyo loudly lectured him on not hugging girls in public("Momiji! We've told you a_ thousand times_ not to hug girls in public! It doesn't matter if no one's looking,just don't do it!"). There was another _POOF!_,and Momiji's human form was back. Tohru and Hikaru looked away immediately,and Momiji put his clothes back on.

"Tohru-chan,does he go to our school?"Hikaru asked once she noticed Momiji had their high school's girl's uniform on.

"Oh,yes! He and Hatusuharu both! They're in their second year."Tohru said with the same smile.

"Oh,hi! I'm Momiji Sohma!"Momiji said to Hikaru,smiling as well.

"I'm Hatsuharu Sohma..."Haru introduced himself,bowing. Hikaru bowed to them,too,and gave them a smile.

"I'm Hikaru Min..."her voice trailed off,and and she looked down for a few seconds,remaining silent. She looked back up,smiling again. "I'm Hikaru Ishiyama."she finished. "It's a pleasure to meet you two."she added.

"The pleasure's all mine."Haru said,smiling as well.

"You know about the Curse?"Momiji asked,and Hikaru nodded. They all,except for Hikaru,knew where he was going with that question. "Then I can hug you!"Momiji squealed,about to embrace her. Kyo grabbed Momiji's collar,and restrained him from hugging her.

"What did I just tell you?!"he yelled.

"Awww,come ooooon! She already knooows!"Momiji whined.

"That's not the point!"

"Hey,Tohru!"Arisa came walking up to them with Saki.

"Uo-chan?"Tohru had no idea why she was suddenly approaching them.

"You forgot your notebook."Arisa said,handing Tohru her notebook.

"Oh,I thought I was forgetting something. Thank you,Uo-chan!"Tohru smiled. Saki and Hikaru smiled at eachother. "Well,I'll see ya tomorrow."Arisa told Tohru,waving. Saki and Hikaru bowed to eachother,and then Saki went with Arisa,waving as well. Tohru and Hikaru waved back. "See ya,orange-top!"Arisa called to Kyo,just to annoy him.

"I told you to quit calling me that!"Kyo shook his fist angrily. "Aw,whatever,let's go home."Kyo turned around,and began walking ahead of them. Hikaru followed,along with Yuki and Tohru. Momiji and Haru followed until they came to the corner of the street leading to the Sohma Main House.

"Bye,Tohruuuu!"Momiji waved happily,smiling.

"Bye,Momiji! Bye,Haru!"Tohru waved again. They continued walking,until they reached the house. Kyo immediately went out again to train in the side yard,suddenly mad because of all the girls cooing over him during school. Well,has was already mad,but he was saving his frustrations to take out during his training. Shjigure wasn't home,but a note was on the door.

_ 'I'm sorry to suddenly leave,because I'm sure I'll be missed dearly_(_'Yeah,right...'_Yuki thought,rolling his eyes.)_. I have to go to a business trip for five days,to advertise my newest novel. Do not burn down and/or destroy the house,Kyon-Kyon! Also,Ayame is coming over in two days to check on you! He shall most likely stay the night,so make him feel at home!_

_Sincerely,Shigure'_

Yuki twitched at the mention of his older brother,Ayame,as Tohru and Hikaru read the note over his shoulder.

"Ooh,Ayame-san is coming in two days!"Tohru exclaimed with a smile.

"Yuki-kun,who's Ayame-san?"Hikaru asked Yuki,who twitched again at sound of his brother's name twice in a row.

"He's my older brother."Yuki told her.

"Oh,he must be very nice,then!"Hikaru commented with a smile,making Yuki blush a bit. They went inside,and nearly jumped out of their skins when Kyo crashed through the wall. "Ah,Kyo-kun!"Hikaru and Tohru yelled in unision,their eyes wide,putting their hands over their mouths in surprise. Then,a very angry Kagura came running into the house.

"KYO,I MISSED YOU!!!"she roared,now attempting to beat him senseless.

"Get- away- from- me- KAGURA!"Kyo roared back,only to make her madder.

"Kyo!!"Kagura suddenly started crying and hugging Kyo tightly. "Who did this to you?!"she cried.

"You did..."Yuki murmurred,a sweatdrop appearing on the back of his,Tohru's,and Hikaru's heads.

"Kyo,why haven't you come to visit me like you promised?!"Kagura asked Kyo.

"I never promised that!"Kyo yelled,holding his throbbing head.

"Well,you should have! I _am_ your future wife,after all!"Kagura yelled back. Hikaru widened her eyes.

_Future... wife? _She thought,her hands falling limp to her side. Tears pricked at her eyes,but she refused to cry. Atleast,in front of them. Hikaru walked out of the living room,up the stairs,and into her room. The tears came slowly out. And,they all stared after Hikaru.

"Kyo,who was that?"Kagura asked,and Kyo glared at her.

"1.That's none of your business. And 2. I AM NOT MARRYING YOU!"he roared,and rushed up the stairs after Hikaru. Kagura was about to go after him,when Yuki grabbed her arm gentley.

"Kagura,no. He needs to talk with her alone,without you intruding."Yuki told her. Kagura scowled at him.

"Well,how do I know he's not cheating on me?"she asked,and Yuki gave her a grim look. She huffed,and sat down,crossing her arms. Meanwhile,Kyo knocked on Hikaru's door.

"Who is it?"Hikaru sqeaked.

"It's me,Kyo."Kyo told her.

"_Go away_."her tone stung him,but he did not go away.

"Can I come in?"he asked.

"No..."

"I am anyway,since it's _my_ room."Kyo told her,and Hikaru huffed in defeat. He opened the door slowly,thinking she might throw something at him. When she didn't,he came in and shut the door behind him. She had turned away from him,hugging her knees to her chest as she sat on the futon mattress. He walked over to her. "Hikaru,listen-"

"You don't need to explain... You and Kagura obviously have alot of catching up to do,so go."Hikaru told him,her tone the same as a minute before.

"No,you don't understand-"

"_What?_"she asked him,turning around and glaring. Kyo sat down next to her with a sigh.

"When Kagura and I were little,she threatened to kill me unless I told her I would marry her. She's obsessed with her and I getting married,but I don't like her like that."Kyo told her,and she looked away from him. "She's totally in love with me,and she gets over-excited alot,especially when she's around me. She over reacts to alot of things by using violence,and it's really annoying."he told her again,but she hadn't looked back at him.

"Kyo,you don't need to make me feel better,I'll be fine."she told him. "Please,just go."she clenched her hands into loose fists. Kyo stood up,but didn't leave. Hikaru stood up as well,and was going to shove him out if she had to. "Go."she said again,glaring at him again.

"But,Hikaru-"

"_Go._"she said again.

"No."Kyo told her,and she advanced on him,ready to push him out.

"Go,right n-"she started,but was interupted when Kyo grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a kiss. She fought,but soon gave in and kissed him back. After a minute,they broke apart,and Hikaru stared wide-eyed at him. She opened her mouth to speak,but nothing came out.

"I don't like Kagura,we're not getting married,no matter what she says. I like _you_,Hikaru. Very much. Don't listen to Kagura when she starts going on about the 'wedding',because there isn't and never will be one."Kyo told Hikaru,taking her hand. Hikaru stared up at him,still in shock at what just occured. After a minute,she was able to think again.

"I like you,too..."Hikaru told him,giving him a small smile.

Kagura couldn't wait any longer. She stood up,and began marching toward the stairs. Yuki stopped her,grabbing her arm.

"Kagura..."he said in a warning tone,and she glared at him.

"Kyo's been up there too long!"Kagura pouted,crossing her arms. Just then,Kyo came down with Hikaru. "Kyo,what took you so long?"Kagura rushed over to him,almost knocking Hikaru to the floor in the proccess. Luckily,she regained her balance as Kyo glared at Kagura.

"I was talking with Hikaru."he told her,pointing to Hikaru. Kagura looked at her.

"That's your name? Oh,well,I'm Kagura Sohma."Kagura gave her a smile,and Hikaru returned the favor.

"Oh,are you in the Zodiac,too?"Hikaru asked her. Kagura seemed a little confused.'

"Uh... yeah,but how do you know about the Curse?"Kagura asked as well.

"I found out."Hikaru told her.

"But how?"Kagura asked again.

"A few days after I started staying here,Kyo tripped and I tried to stop him from falling. I just landed ontop of him,instead,and he tranformed. Kagura twitched,Kyo gulped,and she turned to him.

"Kyo..."she growled,clenching her fists.

"It was an accident!"Kyo braced himself for the worst. Kagura swung her fist,and it collided with his face. He flew back,crashing against the wall. Hikaru gasped. Kyo barely dodged Kagura's next blow,and she just wound up making a hole in the wall. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt,preventing him from running,and she slammed him into the wall. She began to beat him senseless.

"KYO,YOU TRAITOR!"she kept yelling over and over. Kyo sunk to the floor,holding his face,which Kagura had nearly bashed in. Kagura raised her fist to strike again,but then stopped. "KYO?!!"she cried,now crushing him in a hug. "I'm so sorry!"she said. After many apologies from Kagura,and Kyo got cleaned up,Kagura left.


	8. Chapter 8

"GOOD RIDANCE!"Kyo roared as soon as he knew Kagura couldn't hear him,making Hikaru and Tohru jump. Hikaru glanced at Yuki,who was by himself at the other end of the room doing homework while she and Tohru cleaned Kyo up. Once Kyo felt a little better,Hikaru took her schoolbag and went over to Yuki.

"Yuki-kun,is it alright if you help me with my homework?"she asked YUuki,who looked up from his papers. He gave her a smile.

"Of course,Hikaru-san."he told her,and she sat down next to him with a small smile. She took out her textbooks and papers,wondering where her math paper went. She searched through the small stack,and finally found it. Once she found the problems she was having problems with**(haha! XD)**,Yuki began helping. He made it look so easy! After about ten minutes,they were halfway through.

"So... A equals 2x to the third?"Hikaru asked again.

"Yes."

"And x equals 3... so it's two times three,and that equals six... to the third."Hikaru went on.

"Correct."

"Two-hundred and sixteen?"Hikaru asked again.

"That's right."Yuki told her,and she smiled. She wrote down her answer,happy to have gotten it right. After about ten more minutes,they were finished.

"Thank you,Yuki-kun."she smiled. Yuki smiled as well.

"It's no trouble at all."he told her. Tohru got up and rushed into the kitchen,saying something along the lines of "OnoIforgotomaydinner!". Kyo went up to the roof,which he hadn't done for a few days,and Yuki got up to go to his Secret Base.

"Yuki-kun,where are you going?"Hikaru asked as Yuki put on his shoes. He turned to her.

"I'm going to my Secret Base. Tohru hasn't mentioned it?"he asked as well,and Hikaru shook her head.

"Secret Base?"Hikaru repeated,scratching her head.

"Would you like to go and see it?"he asked again.

"Oh,well,if it's secret,and all,then I shouldn't-"

"I just call it that because I don't want Shigure or someone to go and ruin anything."he interupted her rather politely. "It's a garden."he told her.

"O-oh,well,I guess I'll go..."Hikaru murmurred,putting on her shoes as well. They both left,and she followed Yuki through the woods to his Secret Base. "Yuki-kun,are these strawberries?"Hikaru asked,bending down to take a closer look at a little green plant with red strawberries growing on them.

"Yes,and these ones look like they're ready to be picked."Yuki commented,bending down as well.

"Can I help?"she asked again.

"If you'd like."Yuki told her. They began picking the ripe ones,putting them in a container.

"Ooh,look,Yuki-kun,the... cabbage?"she guessed,and he nodded. "The cabbage looks ready,too."she told him. He looked at them for a few seconds.

"No,not quiet yet. I'd give them about another two weeks."he said.

"Oh.."

"But that was a very good quess."Yuki told her again,and she gave him a small smile. "We should start heading back,we've got enough strawberries and red kidney beans."he said again,and Hikaru nodded. She followed him back,but halfway there,she somehow wandered away from Yuki and wound up lost. "Yuki-kun?"she asked,clutching the container of the kidney beans. She stumbled as she took another step,and fell to her knees. She heard a noise near her,but couldn't tell where.

"Aaaaah!"Yuki heard Hikaru yell,and he immediatley ran in the direction of her voice. When he found her,and she was on her hands and knees,the container dropped and temporarily forgotten.

"Hikaru-san...?"he approached her slowly,and she looked up at him.

"Y-yuki-kun..."her voice was shakey.

"What's the matter?"he asked again.

"Th-there's..."

As soon as Yuki and Hikaru arrived back home,Yuki clutched a pale-looking snake tightly in his hands. He threw it onto the table,and it grunted. Tohru and Kyo stared,then immediately realized what must have happened,upon seeing Hikaru's shaken expression. Kyo got up,and stomped over to the snake.

"Ah,Yuki,please do not throw me like that. It hurts,you know."the snake looked at Yuki and Kyo,who were giving him the most frightening death-glares I can't even imagine.

"I know,that's _why_ I did it."Yuki growled,clenching his fists.

"Ayame..."Kyo growled. There was a _POOF!,_and a puff of pale(don't exactly know what color... --) smoke,and Tohru and Hikaru immediately looked away.

"Ah,my apologies,Hikaru-chan."Ayame sat,with one of Shigure's kimonos on,at the table,looking at Hikaru,who was still embarassed.

"Don't call her 'chan'!"Kyo and Yuki yelled at him in unision.

"My,my,you two have such tempers."Ayame wiggled him finger at them,and Kyo growled. "One of the bad things about being the Snake,is that I have to be careful about the temperature... Sadly,today I had forgotten and I tranformed."he said again with a sigh. "I had to find something warm,and Hikaru was-"

"WE KNOW!"Kyo and Yuki both yelled in unision once more,making Hikaru jump. Hikaru seemed bothered by something,and she was still shaken a bit.

"What's wrong,Hikaru?"Tohru asked.

"It-it's nothing..."Hikaru stuttered,looking down.

"It's not 'nothing',now spill."Kyo told her,and she gave a quiet sigh.

"I'm ashamed,really... I have a fear of snakes. I don't like them at all."she told them,and Ayame gave a dramatic gasp.

"Oh,Hikaru-chaan! That hurts my feelings!"he said,immediately making Hikaru feel worse. WHAM. Ayame wound up in a heap on the floor and Yuki and Kyo held their fists.

"Don't say that to her!"they yelled,and Ayame sat up,holding two large lumps on his head.

"Why must you be so violent?"he whined. Kyo twitched in anger,and Yuki gave a quiet growl. Hikaru looked at her feet,then stood up,and bowed to Ayame.

"I'm sorry if I insulted you... Ayame-san."she told him quietly,and left the room,a single tear silently slipping down her cheek. Kyo glared at Ayame.

"Now look what you've done!"he yelled at his cousin,who looked dumbstruck,and went after Hikaru,who had gone to her room again. "Hikaru..."he knocked twice on the door,then opened it. "Ayame's an idiot,Hikaru,he says stuff before he thinks about it."he told her. "His feelings aren't really hurt,he was just saying that."he said again,and Hikaru wiped her face. He took her hand,and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Please don't think low of yourself..."he mumbled,and did something that surprised Hikaru. He pulled her into a hug,knowing he'd transform. She hugged him back,and she rested the side of her face on his chest just before he transformed. Hikaru cradled the orange cat in her arms,a small smile on her face.

"Hikaru?"he said after a minute.

"Hmm?"

"Don't call me Kyo-kun. Just call me by my name."he told her,and she nodded after a moment. She put Kyo back down on the floor,then turned away. There was a _POOF!_,and after a minute Kyo told Hikaru to turn back around. There was a soft knock at the door.

"Who is it?"Hikaru answered.

"It's Tohru. Dinner's ready,if you want to eat."Tohru's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Alright,Tohru-chan."Hikaru told her,and the sound of footsteps,then silence,told the two Tohru had gone back downstairs. Then,they both made their way downstairs and into the living room,where Tohru had just finished putting the plates down on the table.

"Hikaru-chan-"

"_Don't call her chan!_"

"Hikaru-san,I apologize if I made you think you're a bad person."Ayame started over after Yuki and Kyo 'rudely interrupted'.

"It's alright,Ayame-san."she gave him a small smile.

"Oh no,I left the bathwater running again!"Tohru jumped up from her seat at the table,and rushed up the stairs. Kyo rolled his eyes,not in an annoyed way,but in a playful type of way.

"Hikaru-san,are you going to eat?"Yuki asked Hikaru after Tohru had come back down and they started eating. Hikaru looked up,snapping back to reality,and slowly nodded.

"What's the matter?"Ayame asked after noticing Hikaru had a negative aura about her. She looked at him,wondering if she should tell any of them.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of my family's death."she finally got out,struggling to keep herself from crying. The air got thicker,heavier,and just worsened after Kyo explained to Ayame what had happened. Hikaru ate very little than usual,which was already little to begin with,and was the first to go to bed. Ayame slept in Shigure's room,and Kyo,Tohru,and Yuki stayed up for a little bit. Kyo went up to the roof eventually,and Yuki and Tohru both went to bed.

The next day,Hikaru woke up early,and came down dressed in a black dress that went half-way down her calves(sp?? o.0),along with black shoes and an old,tattered picture clutched tightly in her hands. She left,not having anything close to an appetite,for the cemetary. What she didn't realize was that Kyo and Yuki were already up. Kyo jumped down from the roof,landing with a soft thud on the ground. Yuki watched from the window of the kitchen,then went outside,hoping Hikaru would be alright.

Hikaru arrived shortly at the gate of the cemetary,the eerie appearance sending chills straight down her back and up again. She walked past many headstones,soem of the older ones beginning to crumble,and finally settled down in front of four graves. She read each headstone slowly.

_"Cho Misuka. A sister,a daughter,an angel on earth."_

_"Isaku Misuka. A brother,a son,an inspired and dedicated student."_

_"Megumi Misuka. A loving wife,a caring mother."_

_"Shino Misuka. A loving father,a loving husband,an inspiration to all."_

Hikaru looked back at her mother's grave again.

" _'Loving... Caring...'_ "she repeated,her anger seething. She smashed her fist through the stone,shards of rock flying through the air,a dust cloud forming around her. Even from afar,you'd be able to tell that there were now four large chunks of stone missing from her mother's grave. Hikaru sunk to her knees in front of her father's grave,sobbing. "Why did you have to die,Papa? _Why?!_ Why did you leave me,Cho,and Isuka? Why did you leave my mother?"she clutched desperately to the headstone like it was the only thing keeping her alive. She heard a rustling noise in the bushes,and jumped up. "Who's there?"she called out. No one responded,but she sensed a presence. _"Who's there?"_she repeated,clenching her fists,ready to fight if they were wanting to hurt her. Kyo came out from the bushes,followed by an embarassed Yuki. "How did you find me?"she asked,lowering her fists.

"We wanted to make sure you were alright,Hikaru-san. We were already up when you left."Yuki told her,and Kyo nodded. Hikaru wiped her face,then winced as she clutched her hand. It was starting to slightly swell.

"Hikaru,your hand."Kyo and Yuki rushed to her side.

"Don't mind it..."Hikaru looked away from them.

"Hikaru-"Kyo started.

"_I said 'don't mind it'._"Hikaru glared,a tone of hatred in her voice. Kyo retreated a bit,hurt in his eyes. Hikaru turned back to her family's graves,and placed the picture on the ground. She lit a stick on incense on each grave,even her mother's. She didn't know how to feel at the moment;should she still blame herself,or should she blame her mother? Should she just let it go,or continue to weep and mourn? She didn't know who to hate more:herself,her mother,or her father. She loved her father so much,but she hated him for dying. She couldn't let it go,her mother had no right to kill herself and her siblings. She couldn't just weep and mourn,because that won't rid her of her pain. She didn't know. She just didn't know. "UGH!"Hikaru roared,and kicked her mother's headstone again. The rock crumbled,and the incense went out. She took the picture in her hands,and prayed for her family,before leaving in tears once more. Kyo and Yuki went after her. Once they arrived back at the house,Tohru was already up making breakfast.

"Oh,I thought you were all still asleep."Tohru looked surprised when she saw them coming in through the front door.

"Nope..."Kyo yawned,and Hikaru wiped her face.

"Hikaru-san,are you alright?"Tohru asked Hikaru.

"I'm fine."Hikaru replied,and went into the living room.


	9. Chapter 9

Hikaru walked down the halls after school was over,but stopped abruptly when she heard some voices coming from the classroom she was passing. She peered though the crack in the door.

"We must succeed this time!"Motoko said with a determined expression on her face,clenching her fist. "We shall protect the Prince from Honda's evil ways!"she said,looking up,and the others nodded in agreement. "But,how? That Wave Girl's always around,along with that Yankee thug!"Motoko sighed.

"And there's that new girl,Hikaru. Something about her scares me."Minami(A/N:Yes,I finally know the names! XD) sunk into her seat a bit.

"She's hanging around Yuki as well!"Mio huffed.

"And calling him Yuki-kun like that! Who does she think she is?!"Mai slammed her fist onto the surface of her desk.

"She's just as bad as Honda!"Minami said again,crossing her arms.

"We will punish them severly!"Motoko decided,and they all agreed.

Hikaru stepped into the room,and they all froze upon seeing her expression.

"If you think you're gonna hurt Tohru,you're even stupider than you look."Hikaru growled at them. "Saki has told me about that visit you payed to her house,and I'm surprised Megumi never cursed you four."the others gulped,and she continued. "You're all nothing but a bunch of stalkers."she told them,and that made Motoko snap. She got in Hikaru's face.

"We are not! We're merely dedicated to Prince Yuki!"Motoko yelled at Hikaru,who smirked in return.

"If you're so dedicated,then tell me,why'd you say 'merely'?"Hikaru asked Motoko,who's face fell. She couldn't think of an answer.

"Well,you... You're new here! Yeah,you're new! How could you possibly know Yuki?!"Motoko finally retorted.

"Yuki's family helped me in my time of need."Hikaru told Motoko,and she was at a loss for words yet again.

"Tell Honda to stop hanging around Prince Yuki,or else!"Mio stood up,clenching her right hand into a fist.

"Or what?"Hikaru asked them.

"You will be punished!"they all said in unision.

"Oh,really? What's the punishment?"Hikaru's tone sounded intrested,and they all froze. She smirked. "You don't even know what you'll do to anyone,do you?"she said.

"Anyone with common sense knows not to mess with us!"Motoko retorted,and Hikaru rolled her eyes.

"Yeah,that's right!"Minami said as well.

"If you're smart,you'll leave and not mention this to anyone."Motoko said yet again. This time,Hikaru got in her face,causing her to back away.

"_I've_ got a bit of common sense for _you_,so you'd better shut up and _listen_."Hikaru growled,clenching her fists. "If you beat me up,it wouldn't change the fact I'm friends with the Sohmas. And if you somehow succeed in stopping Tohru from being friends with Yuki,it will affect him and his entire family negatively. It'll hurt them,and there would be nothing you could do to stop me from telling them it was all your fault. And then Yuki will never like you. He'll always loathe the girls who caused him to lose his first true friend he's had since childhood.

"None of you _really_ love him the way you say you do. You're merely infatuated,fooled by his appearance. The Sohmas have a past that burdens them,and Tohru is the _only_ girl who can lift the weight off of their shoulders. If you really truly cared about Yuki,you'd _NEVER_ try to take the bond he shares with Tohru!"Hikaru was yelling now,and they all had shrunk back from her. "You don't want to protect him! You want all him to yourselves,is what you want!"her fists were shaking slightly as she tightened them. "Don't you _dare_ hurt Tohru! And if you think for a second that I'll hesitate to hurt you all twice as bad,you're sadly mistaken!"Hikaru yelled again,and slammed the door behind her as she left them in the room. Kyo,Yuki,Tohru,Arisa and Hana were all staring at her,stunned from what they had heard.

"Hikaru..."Tohru spoke. "I haven't seen you so mad."she said,and Hikaru looked down at her feet.

"Is that what they're really talking about in there?"Yuki asked Hikaru,who nodded. "But those girls seemed nice."Yuki was slightly confused.

"You can't judge by appearance."Hikaru told them. She turned to Hana. "I'd like to meet your family,is it alright if I come over to your house?"Hikaru asked Hana,who smiled and nodded.

"Of course."Hana replied,and they all left for home.

"Are we on the right train?"Hikaru asked Hana,who nodded as they boarded a train.

"Yes. I live a little farther than most of the students."Hana told her. The ride was quiet,besides the others around them that were talking with each other. Soon,they got off the train,and Hikaru followed Hana to her house.

"Your house is nice."Hikaru said as they made their way up to Hana's room.

"Thank you. My Grandmother is out with my mother shopping,and my father is on his way home as we speak. They should be here in a little bit."Hana told Hikaru,who looked around the room with intrest. "Oh,you may look around if you want,I have nothing to hide from you."she told Hikaru,who had walked up to the dresser,where a picture was placed. She picked it up.

"Is this you,Tohru,and Arisa?"Hikaru asked,and Hana nodded. "You all look so happy."she smiled.

"Yes,we were,and still are. I'm even happier now that you and I are friends again."Hana said,and Hikaru smiled.

Megumi then opened the door to his room slightly,and Hikaru jumped.

"You're not another one of those Yuki Fan Club girls... are you?"he asked in a monotone voice.

"Huh? No,I'm not."Hikaru replied.

"Megumi,this is Hikaru,from our old home. You met her once,remember?"Hana told Megumi,who's eyes widened only slightly.

"My mistake,Hikaru-chan."Megumi came fully into the room with a small smile.

The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the house.

"Saki,we're home!"Hana's mother's voice called,and Hana stood up. She left the room with Hikaru following her. "Oh? Saki,who's this?"her mother asked her,and Hikaru bowed.

"This is my old friend from my last middle school,Hikaru. I talked about her alot."Hana said,and her mother,grandmother,and father all smiled.

"Oh,Hikaru! Yes,I _do_ remember Saki talking about you before we moved!"she exclaimed,and hugged Hikaru. "Saki has another friend,how wonderful!"she said,and Hikaru smiled.

"Hello,I'm Saki and Megumi's grandmother."the grandmother bowed,and Hikaru bowed to her as well.

"And I'm their father."a tall man bowed,and Hikaru bowed to him.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you all after so long."Hikaru gave them a sweet smile,making them smile back.

"Oh,would you like to stay for dinner? We're having Shark Fin!"Hana's mother asked Hikaru,who's eyes widened.

"Oh,no,I couldn't possibly put you to the trouble of making me dinner."Hikaru shook her head,and Megumi then spoke.

"Hikaru..."he said,and she looked down at him. "We're not going to any trouble at all. You should stay..."he told her,and she couldn't help but accept. The meal was served around an hour later,and Hana's family had insisterd on having her spend the night.

"I have extra clothes,and it's Friday,so we don't have to worry about school."Hana told Hikau,who realized she'd never win this argument.

"Alright."Hikaru said,and Hana picked up the phone next to her,dialing a number.

"Hello?"Tohru's voice answered.

"Tohru,it's Hana. We're borrowing Hikaru for the night."Hana said,and Tohru paused.

"Oh,okay. I'll tell the others. Bye."Tohru told her.

"Goodbye."Hana said. There was a click,then the sound of buzzing. She hung up the phone.

"Um... How do you put curses on people,Megumi?"Hikaru wasn't sure whether she really wanted to know,but asked anyway.

"If I know a person's name,then I can easily put a curse on them."Megumi answered plainly,and Hikaru gave a forced smile. "Don't worry,I'm not going to curse you."he added,and Hikaru sighed slightly in relief. Megumi gave a small laugh. The night went on,and soon it was almost midnight. Hana sat up a futon next to her bed,and Hikaru fell asleep thirty minutes later. "It has been a long time since we've seen Hikaru."Megumi said as he made his way to his room.

"Yes,and I'm very glad her and I are friends again."Hana agreed with a small smile,and Megumi shut the door behind him as he went into his room. Hana laid down in her bed and turned off the light. She fell asleep soon after.


End file.
